Tangled for a Flower
by KindHeartedWriter
Summary: Rapunzel is finally married to Eugene and it feels like nothing can go wrong. However, everything does when people they would have rather left forgotten discover that the well-sought after sun flower is not as rare as it appeared and that Rapunzel has the power to grow more of them. First installment in my "Lanterns of Gold" saga.
1. Cupcake

Chapter One

"Rapunzel?"

I sunk onto the bed, my emerald green eyes closing. "What?" I asked in a weak voice, sweat began to make my cheeks clammy. I wiped at the sweat nonchalantly though I could feel more sweat budding on my skin. A hidden thought pricked my mind, the source of my nausea.

Too warm hands rubs my arms. "Are you okay?" It was Eugene. His spicy cologne announced his arrival, and I struggled to breathe evenly through my nose. I was nervous about tomorrow, and dwelling on it made nausea churn in my stomach.

I couldn't bring myself to look at him, I felt sick. I shook my head at him and a stab of pain had me lurching toward the gate. I ran past Mother and Father, who were walking in, probably asking a question and I slammed the heavy door behind me. I didn't want anyone to see me like this and try to guess the cause.

No one came out to check on me and relief made my head spin. I was sick in the bushes. My stomach rolled and I trembled as I saw the world spin around me. The pain began to ebb slowly and gradually, my head stopped spinning. My ears rang loudly, but I was no longer sick.

I felt weak but I managed to stagger to my feet. I didn't make it far, just halfway to our bedroom before I sank down again. I was mildly frustrated with myself. I had been sick all day, and the off-on bouts of nausea were tiring.

Strong arms grabbed me and pulled me to my wobbly legs. I looked up to see Father's green eyes. "Are you all right?" Father smelled warm, almost sweet. Like baking raspberries and sharp bark. It was an acquired smell, but I felt myself relax as Father held me.

I couldn't bring myself to answer and I just shook my head at him. I was fine, until the next bout of nausea.

"I'll take care of her. It's probably a stomach bug." Eugene said, coming up from behind us. His light brown eyes spotted me on the floor and Eugene crouched down, his lightly tanned arms reaching out to me.

Eugene grabbed me by the hand and kept me on my feet. I couldn't hold myself up, I was still a little woozy, so he got his other hand and scooped me up bridal style.

"Are you okay?" He asked absently, but I caught a trace of concern in his eyes. His light brown eyes gazed at me, and Eugene tried to look relaxed, but the worry was very clear.

"I'm fine." I knew why I was sick, or having the uncomfortable nausea that never seemed to go away. "I'm just worried about the wedding." Saying what had made me so nervous made me relax the tiniest bit, and then my stomach churned again.

Eugene nodded and placed me gently on the bed. He got me a glass of water. I drank it slowly, trying to make myself think about something else. Our room door was open, and my eyes went to the tidy room. The hardwood floor was shiny, the result of a brutal waxing from a week ago, and the fireplace was ash free.

"One more day." Eugene breathed happily in my ear, his voice light. Happiness chased away the remaining nervousness and I nodded excitedly. Eugene sat down beside me on the soft cotton bedspread and I peered at him from the corner of my eyes.

Sometimes it was hard to believe I was really out of my tower. It seemed too good to be true. It was almost like I had slipped into a dream, or maybe someone had woken me up. I was among family and I had Eugene, a man who was no longer a thief. An honest man. The man I would marry.

I really hoped I wasn't dreaming-

"Want to go to the fair?" Eugene suggested, breaking my train of thought. "It's for us, you know. The whole kingdom would be sad if we didn't show up."

"Okay." I was starting to feel like this was another day now that the nausea was gone. Sure, the wedding was tomorrow, but I was fine for the moment.

I hopped off the bed and walked to the windows. My hands pulled back the silk curtains and I saw that the afternoon was starting to end. "Let's go now, before it gets too dark!" I had only been to a few fairs since I had moved into the palace. Each one seemed more fun than the last.

Eugene left me to change into my traditional dress. It hadn't changed a bit. It still had pink sleeves with the same lavender bodice with the same pink laces and the same white frills. Once I had moved in, Mother had made an effort to have more than one copy of my gown made. They all felt the same, so I didn't really notice it at first.

Eugene came in after I was done wearing a black vest with his traditional pants and boots. He winked at me and we left the palace.

We went to the celebration fair that was for the wedding. It was getting dark, a few minutes after sunset. There were pink streamers on the houses and shops with lanterns attached to them. I smiled at the decorations and rolled my pink sleeves up a few inches. It wasn't cold, with autumn being months away.

I marveled at watching the young girls dance and listening to the parade play. I recognized the red-headed triplets and waved at them, smiling when they waved back. They had gotten older since I had last seen them. Eugene went over to one of the stands and came back with two frosted cupcakes. He smirked at me and gave me one of them. I giggled and nibbled on it self-consciously.

After I finished my cupcake, I noticed the maids were among the young girls, dancing in pairs. After a while of fast music and quick dances, the parade began to play a slow song. Immediately, the knights and men swarmed to their significant others and everyone started swaying to the music.

"May I have this dance?" Eugene looked at me and held his hand out as the song began. The dim sunset casted shadows on his face while at the same time, it brought out the light brown in his eyes. He smiled at me, a flash of white teeth, and winked.

I felt my cheeks heat up at his wink. I nodded shyly and he grabbed my hand gently. He seemed moderately nervous, almost more so than me. I could feel everyone staring at us while they danced.

"I'll be nice." He mouthed. He smiled his 'smolder' at me, nodded seriously, and put his other hand on my waist.

The square was almost cool in temperature. There wasn't a breeze, but the air was humid, warm with the leftover heat the sun had made earlier from shining so brightly. The warm air smelled of flowers. Spring had arrived two months ago, and the air was still heavy with the scent of budding roses and growing flower petals.

As we danced to the slow song, I leaned against his chest and closed my eyes. He placed his chin against my shoulder. The hand on my waist rose up to cradle my back as we swayed side to side. I felt admiring eyes on us but tried to ignore them.

I was abruptly very happy as we danced. I was actually with Eugene, dancing with him. We had danced many times before, but at that moment, it felt like we were really _dancing_ together. I felt warm in his arms and safe.

Much too soon, the song ended and we broke apart, our cheeks red.

One of the maids, Fernidia, walked over to me. "It's time to fit your dress!" She announced, smiling at Eugene and I. A few nearby civilians cheered at Fernidia's words and their cheers made the other civilians begin to clap. Her bright blue eyes glowed and her brown hair shone in the dim sunlight. Fernidia curtseyed playfully to the clapping civilians, who cheerfully started laughing.

I looked at Eugene and he shrugged his broad shoulders, nodding in consent. "I'll stay for the fireworks." He smiled at me. It was almost dusk now. The sun was hiding behind the treetops.

"Okay." I turned back to Fernidia, feeling a smile of my own. "Let's go."

I followed her into the castle, away from the fair. I started complaining, the nervousness coming back in strong waves. "It's too far from Eugene. He's going to miss me so bad, he might come in and check on me and then he'll see the dress." Horror made me begin to babble. "Then he would want to marry me right then but he would have to get the minister to come when he was supposed to come tomorrow and we'd have to rush the-"

Fernidia cut me off. "It's okay." She stroked my cheek with her right hand. "We just want to make sure it fits. You'll be back with Flynn-Eugene in no time." Most of the civilians were having trouble saying Eugene's real name. It was a shock to discover that Eugene hadn't always been Flynn Rider. I could understand that, since I was among the first who had known Eugene's name. Sometimes I still called him 'Flynn'.

I nodded at Fernidia's soothing words and started to breathe in and out. She led me into the bridal room, one of the larger dressing rooms, and I gasped at the dress. It was smooth satin, pure white. It had a bodice in the front that had a lavender tint. I dragged my gaze to look at the shoes. I saw that they were the same color as the bodice but had a small heel.

"Do you like it, Rapunzel?" Fernidia looked at me, concern lighting her face as she saw that I wasn't paying attention. All I could see was me standing next to Eugene in my beautiful wedding dress. He smirked at me in my daydream and lightly kissed me on the lips.

Would _he_ like the dress?

A gentle slap on my face made me come back. "Mm?" I watched Eugene smirk at me, still caught up, seeing my daydream in the back of my mind.

"Rapunzel?" Fernidia's voice grew high with more concern.

"I'm fine." My voice broke as I added. "It's so beautiful. Thank you, Fernidia."

She smiled at me, her blue eyes shining with relief. "I'm glad you like it." She gazed at the dress and started bouncing up and down. "Put it on!"

Shock flooded over me. "Now? It's only a day from the wedding! What if Eugene misses me already?" I looked around with my wide green eyes. "Did he knock?"

Fernidia calmed me down again and helped me get dressed. I stared in amazement at me in the mirrors, my skin contrasted beautifully with the color, and the bodice made my rosy cheeks glow.

I spaced out again and Fernidia somehow had me back in my pink sleeved, lavender bodice, and purple dress. She was smiling in amusement and put the dress away in the closet.

Wordlessly, she grabbed me by the hand and towed me out of the bridal room and guided me toward our room.

"Eugene will be here soon." She smiled at me and her bright blue eyes darted around the room. Eugene and I would be sharing this room unless we decided to change locations after the wedding. "Relax," Fernidia said breathily and after an unnecessary curtsey, she closed the door behind her.

I smiled to myself after she left and realized I was alone. Before loneliness flooded over me, I went over to the bathroom and washed up. After wards, I came out and got onto the bed, feeling the nervousness hit me again. Why was I alone?

Then I remembered that Eugene was staying for the fireworks. My feeling of the looming nervousness melted away. I laid down on my side of the bed and tugged the sheets up to my neck, trying to make my running thoughts slow down and sleep like _I _needed to. Weddings were exhausting. Just planning it with Fernidia and my mother had been tiring.

Something pricked my heart painfully and I caught a glimpse of gold in the back of my mind. It was a blurred shape but it seemed to glow with a pale yellow light. My heart throbbed painfully, almost reminding me of heartburn after eating too fast.

Eventually, after a few hours of lying still on the bed, I felt Eugene's presence in the room but as he started to speak, I began to drift to an uneasy sleep, the pain in my heart haunting me.


	2. Wedding Day

Chapter Two

I don't remember exactly what else happened but before I knew it, I was getting into my dress again. I nearly rubbed my eyes but then I remembered that Fernidia had put some sort of powder on my eyelids. I blinked hard, bringing myself into full awareness.

"What?" I opened my eyes groggily; I was not sure if I had gone to sleep last night. I had slept rather uneasy and was still half-asleep.

Fernidia looked at me sadly, her bright blue eyes playful. "You can be so out of it, Rapunzel. Today you and Eugene are getting married." Underneath her cheerful words, I could hear the stress. Everyone was stressing.

Then I heard Fernidia's words and nearly toppled over.

_What?_ I concentrated with a jolt. _I'm getting married today!_ I beamed at Fernidia and stood up straighter on the wood stool. It had been early morning, a shy of two hours after dawn, when I had been pulled into the dressing room. Afternoon was well on its way and the sun beamed through the curtains, warming the dressing room, making me grow nervous and bringing out the light lavender tint on the bodice.

Fernidia helped me with my bouquet, a bundle of lavender-tinted white flowers. She fumbled with outrageously long veil and placed something on my head. She smiled at me and took a deep breath, trying to make herself relax. I smiled, slightly amused, at her deep breaths, and made myself take one of my own.

Fernidia looked at me by the door, a gleam of unconcealed excitement in her eyes. She disappeared out of the door after a quick, breathless, "Be right back!" and then, reappearing in a quick moment, she led my Father into the dressing room.

"Rapunzel. . ." He breathed as he stared at me in my dress. I smiled shyly at him, feeling the nerves beginning to twist my face and stiffen my movements. I had seen Mother when I had first arrived to the bridal room while half-asleep. The way weddings worked, the father of the bride walked her down the aisle.

_So here he is_, I gulped. Sensing my frayed nerves, Father smiled a tiny smile and walked to me. His eyes gave him a relaxed look but his jaw was tense. _Poor man_. He felt it too.

Father grabbed my hand gently and led me out of the room. Fernidia trailed behind us. Father walked with light feet and he looked slightly dazed, his green eyes unfocused. One moment he had his daughter back and then she was getting married. Thinking of the thought made my eyes burn.

Father looked at the two guards who waited outside by the gate and helped me into our carriage. Father sat down next to me and Fernidia waved, waiting for the carriage behind us. Eugene was already waiting for us, for me, at the reception.

Father said nothing the entire time though I felt his eyes on me. I looked up a few times and caught his green irises staring at me in amazement. I smiled, feeling on pins and needles.

No one had told me how nerve-wracking it was. I couldn't wait for the wedding to happen but I felt very nervous again, almost sick to my stomach.

"Don't turn green," Father whispered to me and I turned my head to see that he was looking at me again. I nodded vigorously and tried to stay calm. My hands began to shake as I held my bouquet in one hand and Father's hand in the other.

We arrived in roughly ten minutes, the ride was short. Father and a guard with dark hair and green eyes helped me out of the carriage. I stumbled taking a step forward and the guard with green eyes steadied me, grabbing my left shoulder while Father grabbed my right.

"I'm okay," I said breathlessly and my Father and the guard released me. I smiled kindly at the guard, who smiled back brightly, and blew kisses to the horses. Maximus was waiting as well.

Father and I looked at the crowd of people, who were all sitting down, staring at us. The women were whispering in excitement and I gazed at the end of the aisle to see a glimpse of Eugene walking to his spot.

Father nudged me gently and my eyes went to him. I smiled nervously and Father grabbed my hand. The sun shone brightly on his dark hair and I was beginning to sweat. I squeezed his fingers and Father gave me a look that was gentle and filled with soft pride. His green irises twinkled and I had to bite my tongue so I wouldn't cry. Of all that had happened, I considered meeting my parents the best thing of all.

"You're a beautiful bride," Father whispered, before I could react, he began to lead me down the aisle.

The pianist, who had been playing soft lively chords, changed tune and I felt my gaze shift toward Eugene. He was wearing a white vest with very light gray sleeves and dark pants and dark brown dress boots. His hand was open, like he was holding something. The sun burned brighter when Eugene and I met gazes.

Just like in my daydream, he smirked at me, making my heartbeat speed up.

I smiled at him and his eyes widened as he took the image of me in my wedding dress.

We were outside, a little ways away from the palace, between the palace and the stables, a place I hadn't been to without Eugene. The path to the palace and stables wasn't long, but halfway there, there was a smaller path that led to a large clearing.

We all stood in the clearing, and the aisle was made of long wood benches that were adorned with flowers that matched my bouquet. Everyone held flowers similar to the bouquet as well, and I saw many unfamiliar, friendly faces gaze at Eugene and me.

Father left me standing next to Eugene and I grabbed Eugene's hand. Pascal sat on my shoulder, leaving Eugene's hand.

The minister began the ceremony and after a while, he came to the part when we say, 'I do'.

"I do." Eugene smiled his smolder at me. Pascal, who was wearing a white bow on his neck and who had also stayed on my shoulder the whole time, leaped onto the floor.

"I do." My voice shook with happiness. This was it.

"Then by the power in me, I present you husband and wife." The minister looked at Eugene, "You may now kiss your bride."

Before he even got the words out, Eugene grabbed my cheek softly with his free hand and leaned his face in and kissed me gently on my lips.

Tears of barely contained joy streamed down my face and I wrapped my arms around his neck, smiling.

Thundering claps of approval erupted around us, making Eugene pull away. His eyes had a look of wonder in them. I hurled my bouquet behind me and looked to see who caught it.

I looked around. Mother was hugging Fernidia who pulled away, her eyes bloodshot around her blue irises with my bouquet clamped in her hands. Father's face was glowing with joy and a few tears streamed down his cheeks too. The rest of the country began to surround us and congratulate us. Maximus pushed his way through the crowd and looked at Eugene who nodded wordlessly. Maximus nudged my face and I stroked his neck softly.

All around us, people began to throw lavender roses at us. I smiled at them, and then Eugene snatched a flying rose from my face.

"Thank you," I smiled and then another rose flew at me.

I caught it and sniffed the lavender-white petals, a small smile on my face. Eugene leaned in as if to smell it, too, but kissed me on the lips.

He pulled back again and smirked at me, making me giggle. His tan face seemed almost pink from all of the attention and I was sure my face was as red as a rose. The crowd made a cooing sound; I saw a few faces from the palace, but otherwise recognized no one else.

The minister and his brother, both in purple robes, gestured to the carriage that waited at the end of the aisle; it was the same one that had brought me to the reception. Eugene and I exchanged fond glances, smiling. We began to walk down the aisle, ducking our heads playfully as roses continued to fly at us.

Through the chaos, my eyes swept the aisle and I saw Eugene's steed and my friend Maximus waiting for us. I felt rose petals stroke my cheeks and I smiled brightly at Maximus, my free hand dropping the rose and moving in the air.

I waved happily to Maximus, who had been standing by the pianist. The pianist smiled at my enthusiasm for Maximus, his dark brown hair shining in the sunlight. Maximus left the pianist and Pascal leaped from my shoulder onto Maximus' pearly white nose. I was too shocked to say anything. Pascal jumping on Maximus did something odd to my heart. It twisted it and made me wince.

Before I could dwell on Pascal leaving me, my little green friend turned around on Maximus' nose and waved to me. I waved two fingers and felt more tears bud in my eyes. I blinked hard and one landed on my cheek. Pascal scowled and wiped at his face. I understood, and trying to stop more tears, my hand gently wiped away the lone tear. Pascal smiled, nodding at me, and then he pointed to Eugene.

_That's right. _Pascal had me and would always be my friend but I belonged to someone else now. Eugene and I belonged together. I squeezed Eugene's hand tighter and followed him down the rest of the aisle, past the pianist, past Maximus and Pascal, past Fernidia and my Mother, and past the rest of Corona.

Before we had reached the carriage, Fernidia and another maid tugged off the veil and I was confused when I saw that my tiara held the veil in place. Fernidia gave me a teasing look and I scowled, only to smile when I saw that she still held my bouquet. She and the maid waved me 'goodbye' and Eugene and I turned back to the carriage.

Eugene guided me to our carriage and urged the horses forward with the cackle of a whip. Behind us, our crowd called 'goodbye'.

"Where are we going?" I looked at Eugene with glowing eyes.

"Somewhere you wouldn't expect." Eugene calculated my expression with amused light brown eyes. He had always liked seeing me mull over something. "You've been there before." He smirked at me, his light brown hazelish eyes watching my face.

Trying to think of what that meant, I focused on the bright afternoon sunlight making Eugene's suit shine. The afternoon sun was very warm, almost uncomfortable, but the gusts of wind that ruffled our clothes were cool and resembled light breezes. My eyes went to the emerald leaves that decorated the trees. It had been two summers since Eugene and I had met and each one seemed happier than the first.

Eugene had taught me how to ride a horse and the past few weeks we had gone horseback riding after dinner, only to come back around twilight and eat leftovers. Maximus had gotten older, his nose pinker and his pearly white coat brighter. His brown eyes shone as bright as always, and he and Pascal were always around each other.

Pascal had darkened a shade of green, and he now matched Eugene's favorite hue. Pascal had gotten the tiniest bit bigger also, and he became better and better at hiding from me. We still played our games, sometimes early in the morning or late at night.

After a while of riding, the sun's light became slightly cold and the road was bumpy. "Don't look up. We're almost there." Eugene murmured. I complied and moved my eyes to the path behind us.

As the sun fell below the treetops, orange streaked across the sky. The birds had gone moderately quiet and I could hear the nightingale beginning to sing.

Another short while passed before Eugene pulled the carriage to a stop. "We're here." His voice sounded almost husky, as if he had to speak in a low voice because he was telling me a secret-

I looked up. In front of me was a place that I had lived in all my life except for those last few months.

My tower.

The pale bricks were dark in the sunset and I could barely glimpse the top of the tower. A light glowed suddenly beside me and I glanced at Eugene to see him blow a candle out from lighting a lantern.

Eugene helped me out of the carriage and walked toward the base of it and searched for the secret entrance. After a short while, he found it and helped me inside. Eugene set the lantern on the floor and smiled at me, watching my reaction.

I gasped.

Though it had been a long while, several months, since I had been in the tower, it was very different. Things that weren't mine covered old and new surfaces.

The tower inside was decorated with lavender-tinted white flowers. The small fireplace with a smooth dusty mantel was covered cream vases with bundles of the flowers in them. A familiar smell wafted from it. The small cot that I had slept on was now a much bigger bed with room enough for three people. It had pale blue sheets and white cotton pillows.

At the top of the stairs where my bed had been, there was an ivory tub and a new set of counters against the wall. I peered over the rail to see that my bookcase had been pushed on the wall next to the window, and the new bed now dominated most of the room of the first floor. I came back down the stairs, amazed.

"Eugene. . ." I breathed. I was almost too amazed to speak.

"Whatcha think? Classy, huh?" Eugene walked toward the bed, smiling. "I know the bed's a bit . . .Big. But I thought this would fit the whole honeymoon thing." He grinned at me as he sat on the bed.

My eyes went around my remodeled tower.

Finally, I managed to ask, "What's cooking in the fireplace?"

Eugene smiled wider at me. "Hazel nut soup."

After we had eaten, I got onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling, looking at the sun flowers I had painted my entire life without knowing. I had washed up in the new washroom upstairs and changed into a small cotton nightgown. Eugene was still washing and I was glad he was taking his time. I was getting nervous.

I felt myself begin to pant and I was going to start hyperventilating. I started singing my song, the one I had used to heal Eugene's hand when we had been trapped in the underwater cave. It helped calm me to the point where my breathing started to even out.

"_Flower, gleam and glow_," my heart began to slow. "_Let your power shine_. _Make the clock reverse_."

"_Bring back what once was mine,_" I thought to how Eugene had laid in my arms. The sobs that had shook me when I held him close.

"_Heal what has been hurt_." I thought to how I watched his eyes close.

"_Change the Fates' design_." I thought to how I had wished we had never met, so the man in my arms could live again.

"_Save what has been lost._ _Bring back what once was mine_," My thoughts went to our wedding, and how Eugene was mine now. How I was his.

"_What once was mine_. . ." I finished the song, now fully relaxed. We were together now.

"Beautiful." Eugene came in, changed into cotton shorts; his presence made me nervous all over again. "You have a beautiful voice, Rapunzel." His voice sounded strange, rough, like he was nervous too.

I smiled faintly at him. "I could sing more if you want me to." I blushed.

Eugene winked at me. "Whatever makes you happy." My cheeks reddened another shade.

He stretched, not showing off at all, the trip was rough, but my heartbeat sped up as I stared at him. His tan chest muscles popped out nowhere and they shone in the moonlight that filled the tower. The lantern from before was dying out but it didn't matter.

Self consciously, I tucked a piece of my short brown hair behind my ear. I started the song from the beginning in my head.

I opened my mouth to sing my song again but warm lips on mine made me stop. Eugene wrapped his arms around my waist, his lips still connected to mine. He pulled me to his lap. In the back of my mind, I saw the sun glowing brightly, almost blinding me.

He pulled up the covers, still sitting up with his arms still wrapped around me. He released me and broke away. His light brown hazelish eyes seemed a little anxious, but they relaxed when I placed my lips back on his.

_We're together now,_ I told myself, _nothing will separate us again._

I took a deep breath through my nose and wrapped my arms around his neck, making us fall onto the mattress.


	3. Patches of Blond

Chapter Three

After wards, the days flew by in a peaceful blur. Wake up, eat, look out the window, Eugene. Wake up, eat, look out the window, Eugene. My strange feelings of unease melted away completely after we had been at the tower for two blissful weeks.

I closed my eyes, tired after eating dinner and my busy schedule.

Dreaming now, my long blond hair swirled above me, into a ball of gold, reminding me of the sun. I smiled up at it, feeling my mind float in a pleasant way. I was in a white room without any walls; the room went on and on. My hair spun in the sky as a golden orb.

A full-length mirror appeared in front of me, drawing my eyes from my glowing hair. The mirror was rimmed with gold and my reflection standing in the middle of the white room was gazing at the mirror in puzzlement.

I was standing in front of it with my cotton nightgown on with my brown hair. Seeing short brown hair on my head was a shock. I opened my mouth to gasp but what came out was my song. I closed my mouth but my song continued. I wasn't singing physically, but my voice bounced off of the invisible walls.

As the song went on, the hair of my reflection turned to a brilliant blond color, glowing much like the sun. It grew to my shoulders slowly and then to my waist. My hair began to shine, blinding me. I pulled my hands to my eyes to cover them as the light beams at me.

Then I felt foolish at myself; I uncovered my eyes and looked up at the orb in the sky. Was it supposed to be the sun? It was warm, and the light shone down on me in glowing beams.

I marveled at it quietly, my body full of warmth. Wind caresses my face, making the orb wobble. The cool wind grew stronger, sending the orb to come crashing down on me, but it was falling in slow motion.

I stared at it, too amazed to run. The orb fell rather quickly, becoming bigger and brighter as it nears me. My hair suddenly didn't seem so bright anymore. I smiled hazily, and then everything went dark; I felt the impact of the golden orb as it crushed me.

I jerked awake with a gasp. It was dark in the tower; the fire in the fireplace was dying. I was lying on my left side, facing Eugene. I glanced at Eugene, who arm was around my waist. His face was facing me. His eyes were half-open.

"You awake?" He murmured sleepily. His two trademark flops of dark brown hair fell into his eyes. His light brown eyes sleepily opened, and then blinked closed.

"Yes." I whispered, cringing into the pale blue sheets. "Did I wake you?"

He shook his head drowsily. "No, I was almost out."

I smiled at his obvious sleepiness and stretched my legs out on the bed. The tower was a little chilly. The fire had gone out a few hours ago. The window was open as well, and a warm breeze tempered the chill and pale silvery-white moonlight shone on the smooth stone floor.

I glanced back at Eugene to see him looking at my face with a soft look in his light brown eyes. His free hand went to my waist and he pulled me to him. His breath stirred stray locks of hair on my forehead. "Go back to sleep."

I nodded and curled tighter to him, ruffling my hair in the process. A glint of gold shone in my eye and it looked like it placed itself on my shoulder but I drifted asleep before I could tell what it was.

A gasp made me open my eyes.

I looked up, my eyes wide. "What is it?" I felt groggy with sleep.

"Your hair. . ." Eugene was sitting up, his hand on my chin. His light brown eyes were wide with disbelief. "It changed." His bare chest shone in the dim dawn light.

I slowly realized that it was lighter in the tower when Eugene climbed off the bed and walked up the stairs. I looked around the tower, slightly asleep. It was colder than it was when I had last been awake.

Eugene came back down, one hand cradling a small mirror, and he delivered the hand mirror to me. He climbed back onto the bed and I stared at my reflection, puzzled.

My hair had grown to my shoulders, straight and shiny. It was decorated with big patches of blond; some of the blond patches were clustered around my shoulders.

"Oh my. . ." I touched my head and watched my blond-haired reflection do the same. "What happened to me?"

Eugene stroked my bare arms. "It's okay." His voice was hoarse for some reason. "We can ask your mother and father. They'll know."

I looked at him in confusion. "What's wrong, Eugene?" I managed to gasp out, "Is something else different?"

Eugene stared at me for a long moment, pondering how to say whatever was on his mind. Finally he spoke, "Your eyes are black." He said softly.

His words cut something deeply in my heart painfully and at the same moment, I fell onto the bed on my back.

Everything darkened for a moment before it came back in short bursts. Mother Gothel was leaning over me.

"The flower that gave your hair its powers is very rare. If the wrong hands got it, it might be disastrous for you." I was barely aware that tears of agony were streaming down my cheeks. It felt like my heart was being pounded by merciless fists that were covered in needles.

Another burst. I saw the Stabbington brothers come at me, daggers raised. I felt my mouth open in a soundless cry of agony, my eyes were wide, staring at nothing while my mind was receiving the bursts of memories. My back arched off the bed and a warm hand slipped into mine, squeezing it.

Another burst, stronger than the others. There was a beautiful yellow flower with pale yellow petals that seemed to make it glow surrounded by lush green grass. Dimly, I felt Eugene's hands gently push me back onto the bed. A dark, shadowed hand reached for it. It grabbed the flower and yanked it from the ground, sending another cruel stab in my heart that had my throat struggling to voice my pain. My vision grew hazy with a strange red light dimming it. Sweat beads popped out on my forehead and cheeks.

The visions slowed and focused on the shadowed hand that had grabbed at the flower. I writhed on the bed, my hand squeezing Eugene's hand. I felt myself cry out.

"Rapunzel?" Eugene's voice, low with worry, cut dimly across the haze of pain.

I whimpered in response, seeing nothing. The pain sharpened. I gasped, feeling myself squeeze his hand harder. I was starting to see white in the red haze.

Eugene kept calling my name, his voice rising with panic. "Rapunzel? Can you hear me, Rapunzel?"

His hands hovered over me, as if he was afraid to touch me. "Are you okay?" He hesitantly put his hands on both sides of my face and gently pulled it onto his lap. The pain stayed in my heart, dulling to a throb.

I swallowed before I tried to speak. The dull pain made my body tremble.

"Someone took my flower." I managed to croak, squeezing my eyes shut.

"The one that gave your hair its powers?" Eugene asked. I nodded my head weakly, worn out by the pain. His other hand stroked my clammy cheeks.

He said nothing, only rock me back and forth. I felt him stiffen at something, a disturbing thought maybe, and determination mixed with anger hardened his voice. "We'll find it."

I nodded and opened my eyes to stare up at the ceiling. I struggled to slow my heart down. I wasn't in pain anymore. Eugene pulled the pale blue covers over me, avoiding my head and my new blond hair.

Eventually, I fell asleep, exhausted, on his lap and he kissed me gently on my cheek; right before I let sleep take me, I felt his presence leave the tower.


	4. Waterfall

Chapter Four

I opened my eyes to the same white room without any walls. I looked up to the sky quickly, not seeing the golden sun. Confusion made me blink. I gazed around the white room in puzzlement.

I felt another stab of pain in my heart and I double over, crying out. My knees touched the white floor, and I was painfully confused when it felt like I had only fallen on air.

I groaned and my eyes went up in front of me, looking for the gold mirror-

I jerked awake.

I looked around, my eyes wide, seeing that there was bright afternoon light in the tower. I sat up on the bed, my hands going to my face. I had been sweating in my sleep, a telltale sign of a nightmare.

My eyes went around the tower and I saw that Eugene was still gone. Where had he gone? I tried to remember. Did he tell me where he was going?

My dream entered my mind and I thought of the white sky with the sun as I moved to the edge of the bed. How odd. Did coupling with someone give the woman odd dreams? Maybe this was normal.

I started to get up and walk toward the fireplace but I fell down quickly, the pain in my heart from the dream surfacing into reality, making my vision swim. My muscles locked and it felt like my breathing stopped, as if I was holding my breath.

My eyes were still open but I couldn't move. Panic swelled over me. I tried to speak but my mouth was frozen. The pain in my chest sharpened and I felt tears stream down my face. _Why can't I move?_ At least I could have gotten some air, it felt like my head would explode if I didn't start breathing soon.

My limbs felt like ice and I tried to suck in a breath through my mouth but my lips wouldn't open.

I saw the hand mirror right in front of me, propped up by my old desk. I looked at it with my eyes.

My reflection was mostly the same. The blond patches were visibly starting to grow bigger and eventually they covered the brown patches. My pupils were big enough that it seemed to cover my irises but I could make out a very thin outline of my familiar green around my dark pupils.

My cheeks and lips were white with the effort of trying to breath.

I stared on, almost thinking my eyes were closed. After a few seconds, my face started to turn blue.

Dizziness finally caught up to me and gave me the relief of letting my eyes close. I felt a gentle caress on my back and felt wisps of hair tickle my cheeks and I realized my hair was growing as the seconds passed literally.

I was so dizzy that I hardly noticed the light in the tower was starting to dim, indicating the sunset.

In my mind, I kept picturing the hand grabbing the flower, yanking it from the ground. Then something else happened. I saw the same hand place the flower on a wood board. The hands grabbed a knife and began to chop the flower into bits, sending fire shooting in my veins going toward my heart. I felt myself stay pinned on the floor. The hands collected the bits of the golden flower and pour it into a soup pan filled with boiling water. I felt myself sniff the air and I smelled the scent of damp earth.

The vision vanished, gone from my mind.

I felt my muscles release and air filled my lungs, giving me the strength to stand up. I stood still, trying to summon air to my toes. The dizziness left me and I took the first few steps to the secret entrance carefully. And then I lurched toward the secret entrance of the tower, still in my cotton nightgown.

Outside, I gazed around, almost confused at the sun sinking in the sky.

The carriage was gone and I assumed that Eugene had left to tell Mother and Father. I started running, trying to find the river. Maybe it would take me toward the smell that filled my head.

I sniffed the air, searching for a different scent to that the damp dirt. I smelled wet flowers and turned around. The stream reflected the setting sun in the sky and I started to follow it blindly. I stumbled over bramble bushes and thorns, tearing at my skin. My blond hair caught in some of the thorns and to my shock, I realized that my hair was now to my waist.

_The flower. . . _I had to recall as I tugged my hair from the bushes.

Picking up speed, I made myself wade in the stream with the current pulling my feet in the same direction. The water was coming up to my waist. . .

The current picked up speed and the stream seemed to end as I followed it with my eyes, still wading.

Suddenly, the ground slid away.

I felt the strange sensation of falling in empty air.

I opened my mouth to scream.


	5. Fernando

Chapter Five

I opened my eyes with a gasp, still feeling the air rushing past me. I looked around quickly and I saw a shadowed figure in front of me. My body felt worn out and as I came to, my eyes noticed scratches on my arms and legs. I was sitting up, propped up against a chair.

The figure I saw in my visions grinned at me and opened its mouth to speak, "The girl with the magic hair!" It was wearing a dark cloak.

I couldn't tell what gender the person was. I opened my mouth to speak but the figure went on, "You're pretty banged up. . . And wasn't your hair short and brown? It is much longer than that and now it is blond again." The figure seemed to marvel at my hair.

"I don't know who you are but can you give me your flower back?" I croaked, my voice hurting me in strange ways. The stream had led me to the waterfall, and they had seen me fall. Maybe they were the one who had it? If they weren't, well. . . I'd be on my way somehow.

"Oh course, dear. But I'm going to have to keep you here for a while." The figure said in a menacing tone.

I tried to stand up but a throbbing pain erupted from my lower back and overwhelmed me; I fell back down with a scream.

The figure stroked my damp cheek. "When you fell down that waterfall, I couldn't help but notice your hair color. I decided to take this flower because I learned that you had nurtured a second one and I wanted it to myself." The figure's words weren't making sense to me. "But I didn't know the words. This will be perfect! I heard you got married and I'm breaking the bond between you and your husband. You're going to be mine and we'll raise lots of children and with this flower, we'll live forever."

Horror filled me but I felt too weak to move. "No. . . Please, don't." His words were full of madness.

The figure bent over me and I looked under the hood so I could see his face. He had dark hair and sinister dark gray eyes.

"Oh, don't tell me you started your honeymoon already. . . Well, after wards, if anything happens, you'll bear our first child." I felt sick to my stomach at the word 'our'.

"You'll never bear any of my children!" I hissed at him, weakly. "I'm never going to let you touch me!"

He smirked evilly at me. "Now, now, dear. We need to introduce ourselves. What is your name?"

I tried to remain silently but his evil glaring eyes made me crack. Why had he asked for my name when he seemed to know who I was already? Still, I answered him; I didn't like the look in his eyes. "Rapunzel."

He smiled cruelly. "I'm Fernando." He grinned at me. "This will be perfect."

Tears started to stream down my cheeks as I thought of what he meant. "Please, let me go."

He shook his head. "You seem impatient to have someone be close to you that way. I need to get rid of your scratches." Fernando murmured, ignoring my pleas and acting like I was responding to him appropriately.

"I had some of the soup from that flower. Very nice, made me feel ten years younger." He smiled at his joke and went on, "I managed to get the seeds out of it and plant it more of the flower around the house."

Why had he said that _I _had grown a second flower? I didn't even remember doing that. I didn't know _how_ to do that. He was lying, I was sure of it.

"Please sing, dear." Fernando muttered in a menacing yet gentle tone.

I felt myself comply, only because he looked at me in an evil way. Like he would do more than stand so close to me.

"_Flower, gleam and glow,_" I hated the way he looked at me. "_Let your power shine. Make the clock reverse. . ._"

As I sang, Fernando placed all of my hair onto my arm and placed his hand there. ". . . _What once was mine. . . What once was mine._"

I saw a familiar glow emanate from my hair and I felt my scratches become warm, turn almost hot, and then the warmth ebbed to a calm glow.

"There now, Rapunzel." He said my name in an adoring sweet voice which I immediately distrusted. "Why don't you go wash up?"

I stood up slowly, expecting the stab of pain but it had dulled to a throb while I sang. Fernando guided me toward the bedroom and then to the washbowl that was in a different room and he closed the door behind him as he left. I washed up slowly, my eyes on the door the whole time. He didn't come in and eventually, I was forced to go to the bedroom.

He was stretched along the bed in his cloak, which now I was sure, he only wore shorts with his cloak. I got on the bed with him, not wanting to do this at all.

I gazed at his face, and suddenly I  
>recognized him. He and his lookalike had been at our wedding. Where was the other man? And the maiden? Did they know about this?<p>

Fernando smiled gently at me and grabbed my hand. I stiffened and got under the covers, trying to get myself to fall asleep. I felt his hand on my shoulder, pulling me toward him and I felt my resolve glow in my eyes.

I fought back with all I could.


	6. Bruises

Chapter Six

"Rapunzel, are you going to stop fighting now?" Fernando's hands were on my shoulders as I stood in front of the one full-length mirror he had. My fair skin was covered in purple bruises. There were even small patches on my face, around my lips and on my cheeks.

He looked at my reflection with something unreadable in his eyes. I closed my eyes and shook my head furiously. He sighed and leaded me toward the all too familiar room next to the bedroom.

He shackled me to the bare wall and glared at me, flexing his fingers.

"Now?" Fernando asked. I bit my lip and shook my head. He punched me in the jaw swiftly. His strength was slightly surprising the first night. He had been almost overpowering.

"Now?" He asked as my lip bled. I shook my head, trying to hold onto my resolve. That first night I would_ not_ let him touch me. He tried while I was washing up every night and cooking hazel nut soup too often for comfort. And one time, he got close. . .

Ever since then, he kept hitting me, covering me in bruises. Part of me thought he hated it, he was hurting the one person who could control the flower's power but his pride wouldn't let him let me go. I had been gone from the tower for two months. I couldn't bear to think for what the whole kingdom was going through, looking for me.

Fernando told me to sing every night, and that it would heal the scratches and bruises. It didn't heal the bruises completely but it sped up the healing quickly. I would be purple today and then yellow tomorrow, referring to my bruises.

I felt tears stream down my face and Fernando backed away to let me have some space. He smiled, almost sadly, at me once I was done and he raised a fist to punch me in the side.

"No! Please, just leave me alone!" I croaked. He had punched me in the neck once and now I could hardly speak. He probably planned for that to happen.

Fernando smirked. "You give up?"

As much as I hated to do this in front of him, fearing he would learn the words, I started singing but before I got out the first verse, his fist punched me in the face.

**Eugene's Point of View**

Eugene rode the carriage back to the tower, an uneasy sweat making his hands glisten. He couldn't get rid of the feeling that something was wrong. Rapunzel's parents had been dumbfounded with his news and had sent a maiden, Olivia, who knew about every plant that grew, to help him. He ran into the tower, barely remembering to help Olivia in and gasped as he took in the bedroom. The sheets were tussled, and the atmosphere seemed disturbed.

"What happened here?" He choked out. "Rapunzel?" He looked around, anticipating her sweet voice but his wife was nowhere to be found.

The next two months passed by in agony and Eugene had spent every single night hunting down for Rapunzel. He remembered the trace of fear in her dark eyes as he watched her writhe on the bed in unbearable pain and felt a stab of sadness pierce his heart.

_Where is she?_ He asked himself again and again as he guided Maximus toward the tower, hoping she would be there after all._ I hope she's okay._ He thought to himself.

The whole castle was frantic with worry. The Queen had become so distraught and the King ordered all of the castle guards to be out there, looking for Eugene's missing wife. Pascal had stayed on Eugene's shoulder ever since he found out his best friend had gone missing.

Eugene's eyes closed and he wrenched them open again because of both exhaustion and worry. He led Maximus back to the castle, his eyes closing again. He slumped over Maximus, exhausted.

Maximus neighed in sympathy and carried Eugene on his back to the castle.


	7. Worried

Chapter Seven **Eugene's Point of View**

Eugene woke up with a start. The bed was too cold. Sadness swelled over him as he saw Rapunzel right in front of him, in his memories. She smiled groggily at him, with her cheeks rosy pink and her glowing green eyes, and then her expression turned to pain. Her pupils widened to the point where her familiar green irises outlined the pupils. Her brown hair had evened out and had grown to her shoulders, glowing with patches of blond.

His memories had turned into a dream. "Eugene, help me!" She reached out toward him but as he grabbed her hand, her warm skin vanished, leaving him feeling chilled to the bone.

Eugene lurched off the bed, his light brown eyes widening as he saw that the windows were open. Sadly, he closed them with a tug of the window pane. Rapunzel had loved to look out of the windows.

Eugene left all the lights off, knowing that there were candles in the lanterns. Rapunzel had loved the lanterns that lit up the night sky on her birthday.

Eugene walked toward the door, thinking of Maximus, still in his clothes from. . . What? Last week? Eugene couldn't bring himself to remember.

He ignored Maximus and walked to the balcony and looked across the hills. His eyes closed as he tried to hear Rapunzel's pleasant voice in the breeze that blew against his face.

Eugene walked to the Stables and climbed on Maximus. On the bridge, Eugene felt moderately calmer. The breeze was warm but it was lost on him.

A low, echoing scream made him open his eyes. He listened again and he winced as another scream reached his ears. He blinked. There seemed something familiar about the screams but he couldn't put his finger on it.

Screams. _Ha_. Eugene was hearing things.

He stared at the hills, looking for the source of the screams and saw a pale brown bricked house off to the east of where the tower was.

_But maybe. . ._ The thought of Rapunzel in pain made Eugene's hands itch to hit something.

Eugene jumped on Maximus and took off toward the tower, his heart sinking as he remembered their honeymoon. Halfway there, he turned back, his eyes closing. He thought back to the screams.

_The guards will deal with that. I can't think of anything but Rapunzel. . ._

Eugene dreaded the thought of going to their room without her.


	8. Leaving

Chapter Eight

I jolted awake with a scream. I opened my eyes and sat up with a jolt of terror, still trapped in my nightmare.

"Are you all right?" Then I realized his hand was on my mouth. I tried to stare at myself under him. He planted his lips on top of mine, removing his hand.

I gasped and pushed him off of me. "Just go away!" I burst into tears. I couldn't keep resisting, even if I could heal myself.

He didn't go into another room but he sat by the bed, watching me. He seemed almost sad.

I started crying harder. I buried myself under the sheets, my heart clenched. Eugene would never forgive me if I let Fernando take over me but would he want me to keep fighting? I tried to wipe at my black eyes. The green was hardly visible now.

My nightmare had been about Mother Gothel taunting me. She had me tied up to a wall, just like Fernando. But she wasn't hurting me, not physically. Eugene was there, talking to me. Eugene was constantly demanding where I was, and at my cluelessness, he made up his own conclusions. He kept thinking that I had left him, and no matter how many times I tried to tell him where I was, nothing would come out. I opened my mouth to speak, but I could only hear Mother Gothel laughing at me. It was like I was in a room screaming, but no one could hear me.

Not even me.

I let my head pop out of the sheets and stared at Fernando, desperately trying to think even through the pain. I gulped, grabbing at tender nerves, and made myself sit up.

"Where's my flower?" I demanded fiercely, startling myself.

Fernando seemed surprised, too, and his dark gray eyes hardened. "Why on earth would I tell you?"

I glared at him and realized I was still fighting. He would not push me down anymore.

I was fighting back.

"I'm leaving and you're not going to stop me." I hissed at him and stood up.

Fernando started to get up. He tackled me and I managed to punch him in the neck.

I scrambled from under him and hurled myself to my feet. Hurtling to through the hallway, I barely remembered to open the door before I went through it.

The warm breeze and the peaceful chirping of birds was lost on me. I fled to the back of the house, hearing him behind me. I couldn't make myself run fast enough. _Eugene. Eugene. _I was doing this for him. I kept thinking of him, growing sad as I realized how long I was gone. _Eugene. Eugene._ The time had flown by so fast.

I made it to the garden by the house before Fernando tackled me again.

"Feisty now, aren't you, Rapunzel?" He sneered in my ear. He pinned me down quickly, like all of the other times. I started screaming and thrashing, panicking as I realized he was probably going to shackle me to the wall again.

I managed to jerk away from him, the back of my gown covered with dirt. I decided, with a glance at the house, to leave the flower seeds. I would have to come back to get them. The thought made me nearly freeze in horror but I forced myself to move away from Fernando.

I scrambled to my feet and started running, away from the house and toward the tower. The strangest thing was that Fernando was faster than me. He was letting me run.

I pushed the troublesome thought to the back of my mind and focused on the single thought that mattered.

_ Eugene, I love you._


	9. Thought

Chapter Nine

I ran along the stream that followed to the waterfall's base. I looked up it carefully, trying to tell myself that Eugene was possibly on the other side of it, on the hills.

I searched the bank of the stream, sore and exhausted, and decided to travel upwards. I still didn't have a good idea of where I was. I climbed up the slick rocks by the torrent of crashing water, my heart in my throat.

I scanned the drenched rocks above me, looking for hidden spots in them where I could pull myself up. I missed Eugene terribly.

I hoped that everything was all right. I hoped Fernando wouldn't find me again. Thoughts occupied my mind and kept me busy while my hands and feet guided me closer and closer to the tower.

It seemed like forever, but I was finally up the cliff. I pulled myself up and let out a sigh of relief and weariness. I was exhausted, worn out from struggling with Fernando and my climb.

Thinking of Fernando, I went to the very edge of the stream that led to the waterfall, looking for his all too familiar black cloak.

I couldn't see him, feeling overwhelming relief that made me sit down again.

I took my time following the one stream that led back to the tower. I thought of covering myself with some vines or leaves, but I was too sore to stop. If I rested, I would not be able to keep myself going.

I climbed in to the secret entrance to the tower, remembering that it was now dusk. I started crying as soon as I looked around, staying in the shadows. My blond hair was now near my feet, reminding me of that one day I was having my honeymoon nights with Eugene.

I hoped I never saw Fernando again. I remembered when I had woken up and realized that he was never inside of me.

I had fought him off and won.

I sank down onto the pale blue bed, leaving blood smears. I sighed quietly, thinking of the seeds I would have to recover. I lain back and let myself cry harder. Was Eugene even searching for me now?

I started singing my song, feeling worse than ever as I remembered the last time I sang it for Fernando.

I tried to keep my eyes open but I felt my control slipping on the pain.

My flowers were still gone, and whoever took them caused me agony.

_ The flowers are connected to me._ I realized as I sank into unconsciousness.

Sleep hit me hard, warm and dark.


	10. Remembering

Chapter Ten

It was hard for me to wake myself up. I could still picture Fernando looming over me. I sat up with a small groan of discomfort. Did I break something fighting with him?

I opened my eyes to see small rice-shape seeds on the ground. Immediately I jumped off the bed to grab them, tempted to taste one. Were these the flower seeds?

I thought of a more important question. How did they get in here?

I looked at myself in the body length mirror on the wall. I was covered in dirt, my hair even longer than yesterday, and my originally white nightgown was almost gray. I walked over toward the closet, looking for something cleaner to wear. I'd have to be okay with wearing clean clothes on a dirty body.

I pulled on a light green long sleeved dress with a darker green bodice. It had the same green color on the long skirt that flowed to my knees. I ignored my hair, still not used to it being this long. I liked it though.

"Eugene?" I called out, hoping he would be nearby. I briefly thought about walking to the palace, but remembered Fernando and went against it. I glared at the wall. Fernando was clearly a danger.

What could we do to stop him? Even though he had held me hostage, I didn't want to hang him. Maybe time in the prison could make him change his ways. I looked around the dimly lit tower.

It must have been dawn a few hours ago, because now the sun was trying to shine through the light gray curtains. The fireplace was extinguished. I hoped Eugene made routine trips back to the tower.

_Eugene! _I sank down onto the bed, sobbing hard. _He kidnapped me! You wouldn't have known to come every day! Or to. . .to. . ._

I wiped at my eyes constantly, trying hard to keep my head. _I need to find him._ I reminded myself. Trying hard not to cry again, I stood up and left the tower.

I tried to recall the way Eugene had taken when he guided us here after our wedding. The breeze was lost on me. I felt warm, not cold, however, as I thought of the wedding that had taken place weeks ago.

_Our wedding. _I remembered it with a smile.

"Where are we going?" I look at Eugene with glowing eyes. We were together now.

"Somewhere you wouldn't expect."

A different memory.

"I do." My voice shakes with happiness. This was it.

"Then by the power in me, I present you husband and wife." The minister looks at Eugene, "You may now kiss your bride."

Before he even gets the words out, Eugene grabs my cheek softly with his free hand and leans his face in to kiss me gently on my lips.

I shook myself out of my memories, shaking my head fiercely.

Memories weren't going to help me when I was in a situation like this.

I could only make more of them if I found Eugene, and explained everything.


	11. Flying

Chapter Eleven

I looked at my long hair then at the window I used to pull Mother Gothel up with. I stepped onto the ledge, placed my hair in the hook, and began to cautiously lower myself down.

I stopped, barely at the top of the tower. _I've done this only one time!_ Panic shot through me. _How can I be sure it will hold?_

I tried to ignore the panicky feeling and swung myself down. The wind caressed my face and it felt like I was flying.

I opened my eyes to see Eugene watching me from the cave he had ran through from goons so long ago.

**Eugene's Point of View**

He stood up, already dressed. He was mildly proud of himself. He had changed clothes three days ago.

Eugene walked toward Maximus, who was snorting impatiently. He rode his loyal horse through the woods, past the ledge he had been trapped in.

"Hey, Max?" Eugene was trying to find hope.

Maximus snorted that Eugene had his attention.

Eugene took the lead. "Do you think we'll find her?"

Maximus's head was bobbing as he galloped so Eugene couldn't tell whether he was nodding in agreement or shaking his head.

His voice caught in his throat. "I hope we find her happy somehow. She wouldn't run off for nothing, you know. Maybe all this time, she's been-"

He stopped. He was thinking unrealistically, stupidly. Rapunzel wouldn't let herself get kidnapped either, unless something had happened to her. He had to give her the benefit of doubt that she'd run off for . . . Someone else.

Maximus stopped at the cave entrance.

Eugene glimpsed a shape swaying in the breeze. He got off of Maximus, mentally in time.

He climbs down the tower slowly, making sure that the metal hooks can support his weight. A rush of wind and blond hair has him looking down.

_She's flying_. . . Wonder makes Eugene pause.

Eugene walked slowly toward the swinging shape.

_She's flying_. . .


	12. Mistaken

Chapter Twelve

I ran toward him, my eyes filled with tears. _Eugene! Eugene! Eugene!_

He caught me in his arms, his hazel eyes growing warm and moist- I _really_ missed those eyes of his- and swung me around in a circle.

"You're fine!" His voice was barely a whisper. I felt the air around him change immediately. Instead of it dark with despair, we were now both in the light. We were glowing with happiness.

I saw a familiar handsome white-as-snow horse peer through the cave. Maximus! He neighed in disbelief and took off galloping toward me. He nosed me away from Eugene, sniffing me all over. He narrowed his eyes at me.

"Maximus, it is Rapunzel!" Eugene was looking at Maximus, almost glaring at him. "She's back!" He caught me in a hug again. His cologne made me heartsick. I clung to him, feeling tearless sobs making my chest heave.

I forgot where I was as Eugene's nose dove for the crook of my neck. I wrapped my arms around his own and kissed him. Time slid away as I realized that I was truly back. I was safe again.

"Rapunzel?"

I looked up at him, content at last. "Yes, Eugene?" I said his name like the sweetest honey, the warmest blanket I would find on a cold night, like it was the best word I've ever heard in my life.

"You smell like-" I stared at his face as his eyes darkened. They hardened before me, and for a second, I felt so alone it was unbearable.

"I-I smell like what?" The water from the waterfall? Was it dirty? I felt insecure immediately. I couldn't reunite with Eugene smelling like mud and dirty water!

"Someone else."

It didn't register at first. He was telling me I smelled like someone else? I watched him back away, his jaw slowly clenching with anger.

I reached out for him. "Eugene-"

He glared at me, and spat venom. The words cut through me like knives. "Stay away from me!"

I willed my numb legs to move. I had been gone for months and now that I could see Eugene again, to touch him, I couldn't? He wouldn't allow me to? What did he think I had done? _What_ had I done?

"Eugene, I-I don't understand." What I was saying couldn't describe the confusion I felt inside. "What did I do?"

Eugene met my eyes, and I was dismayed to see that his eyes were dark with anger. "You left me for months, and I find you, only to see that you've been with someone else!"

_What?_ "Eugene, I don't know what you're talking about-"

"Prove me wrong then, Rapunzel!" Eugene stalked up to me. Memories of Fernando hitting me made me back away. Eugene grabbed my arm tightly and pulled a chunk of golden hair to my nose. The smell of Fernando's cologne hit me like a slap in the face.

"Eugene, I can explain!" I reached out to him when he whirled around. "Eugene, please! Let me explain!"

"I don't want to hear anything from you." Eugene's voice was taut and livid. "Go back to whoever you were with before me-" He looked at me, his hands clenching and unclenching into fists. "How do I know that you weren't seeing someone before me? How do I know that all this time, your _love_-" he spat the word like it was a curse, "was a lie?"

I couldn't bear this. I felt myself sink into despair. "It's not! Eugene, I love you, none of it was a lie!"

"I can't believe you." He climbed back on Maximus, who glared at me. I was suddenly glad Pascal wasn't here. He might have- _would_ have sided with them.

"Eugene!" I called after him as they galloped through the cave. "Wait!" I managed my shaking body to move a few steps but faltered.

How could he doubt me? After all of this, how could he doubt _me_? We weren't the normal couple, given the circumstances we had grown up with. Anyone who had gone through an inch of what we had would have stuck to each other like tree roots in the ground. Why- How could he think I would abandon him?

I sank onto the ground, feeling my despair sink into the earth. I no longer felt warm. I felt as cold as the wind on a rainy day. Tears streamed down my cheeks; I stared into the sky, unashamed of my weakness. My heart swelled with pain; I felt my hair slowly stop growing.

I watched the golden locks of my hair turn brown.

And then, my hair began to die, the curls darkening to a shade lighter than black. I gaped at the color, and burst into tears.

I needed to tell Eugene the truth, but at that moment, I couldn't move.


	13. Realization

Chapter Thirteen **Eugene's Point of View**

He rode Maximus as fast as he could back to the palace, his eyes dampening. She had left him. Why? _How_ could she do that to him? Maybe it was all a lie.

He stormed into the room they had been in before their marriage and it took his strong will to prevent himself from throwing things. Breaking the windows. Burning the bedspread.

"Eugene?" It was the soft voice of Rapunzel's mother. He turned around slowly, almost murderous with rage and grief. Rapunzel had left him, gone for months, and hadn't said anything. A letter would have been nice. Something that said she was okay. _But, no!_ He had to wait in terrible suspense, losing sleep worrying about her. It had been worth it if she had returned to him _with_ that person, rather than alone. Then Eugene could have seen whether that man was the right one for Rapunzel.

"-I hope everything is doing okay." He realized that he had let her drone on and on. He tried to make up for it, try to keep up, when his mind so angry he could hardly think.

"Everything's fine," his voice was hoarse, almost betraying him.

"H-Have you seen Rapunzel?" He looked up at her. He saw the green eyes that he had missed so much; he couldn't bear to look at Rapunzel now. Her peach-tinted cream skin that was so much like Rapunzel's. He wondered, if he were allowed, if it would have felt like silk, the way Rapunzel's had felt.

He remembered her question and answered it with thoughtless abandon. "No, no sign of her." He nearly froze. Why had he lied? _I had just seen her!_

Rapunzel's mother nodded, her green eyes turning sad, and walked out.

Eugene sank down on the bed, looking through the windows to the midnight blue sky.

Rapunzel's skin was soft, like silk, he remembered it clearly. Her eyes would light up whenever he saw them. Her hair was returning to its normal length and blond, but he didn't care about that. Her hair could have been red and he wouldn't have left her.

So why did she leave him?

He thought back to the recent reunion. She was wearing his favorite color -green- and her hair was as long as it could be, fifteen feet long, and that was _short_ compared to what it had been. Her eyes were still black, only because of her widening pupils. Her skin-

His heart stopped.

Her skin had been covered in _bruises_. Yellowing bruises, which meant that they had occurred a while ago, but bruises. How did she get bruises?

He stood up, his mind expanding. She had been gone for months with blond hair and nearly black eyes, no one would have recognized her. And the smell of the other male -someone else, someone he didn't know- on her, and to find her with bruises. . .

_Someone had hurt Rapunzel._

The thought made anger spread throughout his entire body. Every cell was burning so hot it was almost painful.

Eugene's hands clenched in fists, but this time, they were for revenge, for Rapunzel. Someone had threatened her safety, while he wasn't there. Remorse and resent flooded through him, but it ebbed away as the thirst for revenge took control.

Someone had hurt Rapunzel, and they were going to pay.


	14. Memories

Chapter Fourteen

I sank onto the bed, my eyes downcast. My hair fell around me in long tendrils. The hair on my head that wasn't blond was brown. While there were stray curls near my eyes that were blond, the blond was being replaced with browning tips. It fell to my shoulders. I took comfort in the fact that I at least still had hair. I had almost expected it all to fall off.

I felt no will to move from this bed; I had crawled inside the tower shortly after the will to move returned. Eugene was gone, had left me, convienced that I had left him for someone else. Fernando was still after me, I was sure. And Pascal and Maximus, once they heard Eugene's side of view, probably would leave me, too.

I was alone.

I laid still, my mind back in time to my happy moments with Eugene, trying to dim the pain.

"Maximus, it is Rapunzel! "She's back!"

My mind started moving backwards.

I glance at Eugene, whose arm was around my waist. His face is facing me. His eyes are half-open.

"You awake?" He murmurs sleepily.

"Yes." I whisper. "Did I wake you?"

Eugene looks at my face with a soft look in his light brown eyes. "Go back to sleep."

Eugene winks at me. "Whatever makes you happy."

Fernidia looks at me sadly. "You can be so out of it, Rapunzel. Today you and Eugene are getting married."

"I do." My voice shakes with happiness.

"Do you like it, Rapunzel?" Fernidia asks, a light in her bright blue eyes.

"May I have this dance?" Eugene looked at me and held his hand out as the song began.

I feel my cheeks heat up. I nod shyly and he grabs my hand gently.

"I'll be nice." He mouths.

And then the ones that felt like just yesterday. One of the important ones was the one that only came because of something that occurred once a year. . .

I feel my eyes widen as I look up. The sky is filled with glowing lights, glowing suns. Eugene is watching them too, in awe. I am suddenly filled with gratitude, that he had brought me this far. That he hadn't left me.

I reach behind me, ready to tie him loose when I see that he had another gift.

He is holding two glowing suns. Our suns.

He hands one wordlessly to me, and on cue, we both lift them to the sky.

They fly around each other in a dance; their lights seeming to be the brightest. Eugene watches my face carefully as I stare up at them. I can feel my heart reaching out to Eugene's, begging for a dance of its own.

Eugene reaches out his hand to me as I turn to him. I can feel it in my eyes that I was reaching, grasping, for his heart. He cups my chin gently with his hand, and as we lean in, my heart jumped with joy, taking off at a new speed.

Love.

Our lips are inches apart-

"_Flower, gleam and glow_." I sing, my hair wrapped around Eugene's hand. He gasps and nearly pulls away from me, but I hold firm.

I told him about me, and he hadn't run off. He stayed.

Did he stay for me or the crown?

For a second, I realize that I wanted him to stay for me.

Eugene is fighting with my frying pan, my one weapon of defense. I feel briefly agitated, then remember the situation, and let him have at it.

He is surprisingly skilled standing his ground to Maximus. Maximus caught him in a weak moment, and then the frying pan was flying off into the air.

"How about a two out of three?" Eugene grins at Maximus. Maximus neighs in disagreement and I took my chance.

I catch my hair on the hook- much like the one at home- and hurl myself down. I feel their stares behind me and think nothing of it.

I unhitch my hair from the hook and throw a good clump of it at Eugene.

He grabs it and saluted Maximus- whose jaw was wide open from shock- and swings down next to me. There is wonder in his eyes but it quickly disappears before I could say anything.

"I have a dream!" I sing, my bare feet dancing on the smooth tabletop. I feel mildly bad, wondering if I could help clean up after wards, but all eyes are on me. "Oh, I have a dream!"

I catch Eugene's eyes and realized that I did have a dream.

I watch as he opens his eyes. Wonder shook me. He isn't like the men Mother Gothel had told me about. I can see in his eyes he wasn't. The peace on his face while he slept -or had been knocked out, guilt bubbled in me- after the wonder- confirmed it.

I pay mild attention to the first few things he says, just responding when needed to; I do remember to tell him my deal. I just watch the way his lips moved when he spoke, the way his eyes betray his emotions, the strength in his muscles as he tries, unsuccessfully, to get out of my hair, and the way he watches me move.

Does he feel it too? This strange feeling of attraction? It is odd, but I like it. It felt like that if everyone else in this world was like Mother Gothel had said, I knew someone good.

_Mother Gothel didn't tell me about _you_, Flynn. And I'm glad she hadn't_-

I opened my eyes slowly, not realizing that I had fallen asleep. I sat up and stretched, feeling my right arm protest.

I lowered it down slowly, now thinking back to my fights with Fernando. I _must_ have pulled something struggling with him. Unless-

The waterfall.

I gasped.

I had fallen off the waterfall. And my arm wasn't healing, despite how often I had sang since then.

I tried to piece everything together.

My hair had begun to die when Eugene had left me, only growing when I was happy. My fight with Fernando hadn't helped, because then the flower's seeds were everywhere. Where even if I left, he would have enough to plant more flowers. I had found flower seeds in my room breaking free from him, leaving my place of despair. My hair had started growing that first night, when gold had landed on my shoulder.

So when I was happy- too happy for words- my hair grew, and flower seeds would appear. And when I was sad -and maybe almost to the point of death- my hair would die-

Wouldn't the flower seeds have died too? Even the flowers that had been planted? There was some sort of formula behind it. I felt close to understanding.

And how, after my hair had been cut off by Eugene in a desperate attempt to keep me from Mother Gothel's clutches, how would another flower have appeared?

There must have been one seed that had grown when-

The seed had been in the ground when I became free with Eugene, and it grew because _we were married_.

And now that my hair is dying, wouldn't the flowers be dying too?

Which meant that the flowers at Fernando's. . .

I froze, my hand clutching my throat.

Which meant that Fernando would come find me to get _more_ seeds. Which meant I was no longer safe.

Eugene was no longer safe. Everyone- my mother, my father, Maximus, Pascal, Fernidia- was in danger because of _me_. Because I had came back.

Maybe I shouldn't have came back; Eugene _had_ thought that I left him-

I shook that thought away quickly. I had _needed_ to come back. Fernando was dangerous.

I felt tears trickle down my face.

He was a danger to everyone because of me. And he could find me now, and _make_ me leave; he might have seen me climb up the waterfall.

I would rather that happen, then for anything to happen to someone else.


	15. Pale Blue Bedspread

Chapter Fifteen

I watched from the window as the sky lightened.

So the sun really was coming up then. I looked around the high walls, for some comfort. I hardly bothered to move from the window. I gazed at the paintings, remembering the thrill of painting something that I wanted. Admiring how it all _kind of_ came together. If I were a master at painting, it would have looked real.

I got up to lay on the bed; the window and the bed being my post for the past few hours. I looked at the pale blue sheets that had a few smears of my blood on them. I frowned at the thought and removed them.

_If_ Eugene ever came back, he didn't need to come to a bloody, dirty bed.

I bundled the sheets up, more than willing to have something to do. I crawled out of the secret opening, only because I couldn't swing down holding laundry. Besides, it might have gotten even filthier.

I held the laundry carefully, now becoming a bit overwhelmed. My hair was pulling me back a bit, tangling with the sheets I fought to keep off the ground.

When I made it to the stream, I carefully dropped the sheets in the cool water. I began to wash the sheets hurriedly, beating them against several sharp stones. I cut my fingers and palms making sure that the sheets were being washed properly. Rather than singing my healing song, I sucked on my fingers before washing them in the stream.

I was about to stand up, intent on going back to the tower when I heard my name in a voice I hoped to never hear again.

"Rapunzel!"

My stomach dropped with dread and my heart started to pound.

_Fernando._

**Eugene's Point of View**

He sat up, wiping his eyes. Maximus was lying down on a heap of grass, his tail twitching. Eugene had gone out at night, riding Maximus around pointlessly, trying to think rather than to find Rapunzel.

"Max?" Eugene's vision was still blurry from sleep.

The handsome steed popped an eye open. Pascal, finally willing to come and see if Rapunzel had left Eugene himself, was lying on Maximus's flank.

"Max, get up." Eugene stood up, realizing that he had bathed last night. Seeing Rapunzel had restored something in him and he secretly denied that Rapunzel had left him for someone else despite what everything suggested. Eugene knew he couldn't ignore the _bruises_.

The horse stood up, his jaws gaping in a yawn. Pascal was awake before Maximus had moved, and leaped the few yards to get on Eugene's shoulder. Eugene nudged him soothingly as he saw the small chameleon's eyes darken.

Eugene couldn't tell Pascal that he had seen Rapunzel. Not yet.

Eugene got onto Maximus and led him to a small stream not far from the tower. Eugene washed his face with the cool water, hoping that it would wake him up some.

When they were done, Eugene led Maximus toward the tower, just to see if Rapunzel was still there. A part of him hoped that she had stayed, he needed to apologize.

He thought over the last few words they had shared and realized how fast he judged her, and didn't let her explain. It was just that he had been so angry, he had to get away from her before he hit her. He was ashamed to feel that if she had came any closer to him, he would have-

Eugene killed the thought immediately.

For a short while, Eugene rode in silence with Maximus and Pascal, who was looking around urgently.

Then, Eugene heard voices. Maximus crept closer. He could tell that they were on the other side of the tower, in the opposite direction of the cave. He could hear Rapunzel's voice, and then the voice of a stranger. He inched forward to investigate, and then Eugene decided against it. Maybe she was telling the stranger that she had found him, and was deciding to leave him.

Should he go toward her?

_Rapunzel's Point of View_

"Fernando!" My free hand went to my throat and I felt like I couldn't breathe. I realized that I was terrified of him.

"Rapunzel, _darling_." Fernando's hands were stretched out to me, as if he wanted to give me a hug. His hands were hidden in black gloves while he was wearing his trademark black cloak with a gray vest and darker gray pants and boots.

I started to back away, nearly dropping the sheets. My head spun unpleasantly at the sight of him. The things he had done to me, the way he hit me-

"Rapunzel, oh come now, be polite." His voice was sugary, and it reminded me of when he was trying to get me in bed with him that first night. "Come and greet me. I've come to take you _home_."

I felt myself turn green. I still couldn't talk.

"Rapunzel," his voice now had an edge to it. An edge that I remembered. I clutched the sheets with both hands, now holding on to them like they were a lifeline.

But I made myself walk toward him. Maybe if I gave him what he wanted- an acknowledgment -maybe he would leave me alone. I knew that I wouldn't let him touch me.

"Fernando," I made my voice sugary but edged too, "_dear_. How I've missed you so." I said the lines like I meant them, when I was really planning an escape.

He wrapped me in a hug, his hands drifting down to-

"I saw you come out."

That was all it took before I was trying to run toward the tower. Then his words registered. Now he knew where I _had_ lived. Now he knew the secret way inside.

"Fernando, you need to leave me alone." I felt my throat close up with panic. The sheets fell from my numb hands.

"I disagree." Fernando was edging toward me. I watched as he took slow steps in my direction. "You and I are going back to our home."

"I don't live with you!" I yelped, now becoming disgusted and nauseated. "I-I don't even-"

I couldn't speak anymore. I was filled with panic and despair. I had _nowhere_ to go. I couldn't go anyway. I couldn't go to Eugene at the palace, and the tower was right behind me.

He knew it. He knew I couldn't run away.

"Rapunzel, darling, it is this way." Fernando took the last few steps to pull me toward the stream. "You know the way don't you?" His hands dug into my arm. "After all, you did _fall_ getting there."

I started struggling. I knew that he must have prepared the house for my return. He would have made it to where I couldn't escape. My heart leaped in my throat.

"Fernando!" I pulled back, hardly moving because I didn't want to go with him. He was the most dangerous person I had ever met, except Eugene. Eugene was so strong, he might have been able to help me, but I didn't get my one chance to explain to him what had happened. Maybe Eugene had moved on already. I wished that he had, so that way if I went with Fernando, I wouldn't put Eugene in anymore danger.

"Rapunzel, come _on_." Fernando's grip was too tight, too strong. I pulled back harder and he ended up on top of me for a few moments. His cold breath made me shudder as I tried to push him off. Fernando's voice sounded off, not as deep.

I met Fernando's eyes and realized that something was wrong. His eyes were dark brown now. Fernando had dark gray eyes.

And they weren't filled with malice. Fernando was confused. This wasn't him. This was someone else.

A cloth came to my face and my panic went away in my head while an overwhelming drowsiness took its place. Now I couldn't-

He pulled me into his arms, still walking, as I slowly began to lose consciousness.

_No!_ I fought to keep my eyes open.

Who were they? Why were they doing this for Fernando?

_I have to stay awake. . ._ I could hardly think. As my eyes tried to close, a flash of white and hazel caught my attention. Loud voices and shouts sounded everywhere.

I was staring into hazel -such a _soft_ hazel- as I drifted out of consciousness.


	16. Almost

Chapter Sixteen **Eugene's Point of View**

He crept forward, sliding quietly off of Maximus. He strained to listen.

"Rapunzel, oh come now, be polite." Eugene tried to recognize the voice. Something about it was familiar. "Come and greet me. I've come to take you _home_."

Eugene's hands clenched into fists. So this was the man who had hurt Rapunzel.

"Rapunzel," his voice now had an edge to it. An edge that Eugene remembered. An edge that demanded obedience or that there would be violence. Eugene looked at Maximus, whose face was watching his. Eugene pointed frantically into the direction of the palace. Maximus and Pascal took off quickly, hardly making any sound. Eugene felt proud for knowing them then.

Eugene peered over the bush he was hiding in.

"Fernando, you need to leave me alone." Rapunzel's voice was beginning to shake. Rapunzel dropped something pale and blue. The bedspread.

_Fernando_. A light tried to go off in Eugene's head but it went out as he saw Fernando grab Rapunzel's arm, tugging her toward the stream. . .

What was the importance of following the stream?

Fernando fell onto Rapunzel as she yanked back. He quickly reached into his cloak to pull out a piece of dark cloth. Fernando pressed the cloth to Rapunzel's mouth and it clicked.

It took everything Eugene had to stay put, to watch painfully as Fernando carried Rapunzel's body along the path of the stream. She was still struggling, but her struggles were getting weaker as whatever was in the cloth began to take effect.

A low neigh grabbed Eugene's attention. He looked over to see Maximus. He peered back Maximus to see several heads bobbing. Eugene flashed Maximus a grin and signaled them quietly to begin to split into two groups and meet at where Fernando was.

Fernando crooned to the now limp Rapunzel, the cloth still pressed to her face. He murmured to her with a hard edge, his fingers tracing Rapunzel's split lip, his eyes still on her face.

Eugene stalked forward, his hazel eyes on Rapunzel's sleepy face. There would be new bruises, he was sure. Some would be on her arms and face. The thought made him shake with rage.

The knights of the palace blocked one side, the side where the stream was going to lead into the waterfall. Half of them followed Eugene quietly.

Fernando looked back for a moment and spotted Eugene. His eyes then strayed to where the knights were, in front of him -lead by Maximus and Pascal- and behind Eugene.

He grinned and tried to set a fast pace, now looking at the knights blocking the path to the waterfall boldly.

"Go!" Eugene's urgent whisper was heard by Maximus, who then charged toward Fernando. The rest of the knights charged toward Fernando with their swords held out, shouting, hoping to intimidate Fernando.

Fernando grinned at them and kept the cloth pressed to Rapunzel's face. The knights surrounded him and Fernando grinned.

He looked over at Eugene and smirked.

Suddenly, Eugene knew that this wasn't him. He had seen that carefree smirk somewhere else, on a different face. . .

The knights tied Fernando's hands together after he had laid Rapunzel safely on the ground and escorted him into the woods. Maximus was pacing rapidly in front of Rapunzel. Eugene moved to Rapunzel's side so fast he hadn't even realized that he had ran to her. Rapunzel's blank eyes tried to follow Maximus's quick movements but eventually she gave up.

Eugene carefully lifted her off the ground and saw her look into his eyes before they closed.

Eugene knew then that Rapunzel hadn't left him. Not on purpose.

Because he had just witnessed her nearly being stolen from him again.


	17. Disorientation

Chapter Seventeen

I am trying to walk.

I can feel Fernando pick me up, and I can't walk away from him. I kept remembering the scene over and over, knowing that I was asleep. It still terrified me. To know that whatever Fernando had put on the cloth, it rendered me powerless in less than a minute.

I watched as the familiar flash of white blurred across my line of sight. I gave up trying to focus on what it was and looked up.

I saw the prettiest hazel, so pretty it could have only belonged to Eugene.

He was here? He had rescued me? After what he thought-

"Rapunzel?" A soft voice was trying to wake me up. I began to receive my senses again. I felt soft fingers stroking my cheek, felt the soft breath near my ear. I could feel the strong arms carrying me.

It called me again. "Rapunzel? Can you hear me?"

I couldn't move, not yet. I felt too heavy.

I drifted out again, falling farther into sleep.

I dreamed of my memories, my nightmares. Fernando hitting me in the face, his gray eyes glittering dangerously every time he tried to catch me off guard. The way he would look at me after I bathed, as if he were trying to see me in a different light. When I had seen him that time, the time where I was nearly kidnapped again, that look about him. His entire body screamed danger at me. Danger and _run_.

The feeling of each blow felt so real against me that I felt smothered. It felt like I was holding my breath too long, like I was submerged under water and had been for hours.

I had to open my eyes.

But I couldn't.

I was left to feel each blow of Fernando. Feel the way he looked at me, in such an intimate way that it had me shaking. I had to look at the purple bruises he had caused me, feel the soreness, the terrible ache.

And then knowing that the pain could go away. And it did, but I would have had to experience it again. Feel each new blow on that partially healed spot, which would have made the bruises worse.

Reliving my nightmare of Mother Gothel and Eugene demanding where I was. Trying to speak but hearing mocking laughter.

My silent pleas that fell on deaf ears. I couldn't make myself be heard. I wanted to wake up every second before each blow, before each feeling of pain.

When the nightmares began to slow, I felt so much relief, it tempered the pain. I could finally realize that there was such a thing as time again.

Behind the slowing nightmares, there was a vision of a flower. It was deep, buried in the back of my mind, but it was right behind my eyelids.

I was sitting on a field in the darkness of midnight. I was watching a tiny glowing seed fall down into an even tinnier hole. The earth glowed where the seed had fallen, then covered the hole up itself. The seed began to grow as I thought of Eugene through the pain. I saw flashes of happy memories and saw that the flower grew faster with each happy thought.

When the flower was mature, something compelled me to reach out to it. I touched one of the petals, and the flower began to glow. I felt my whole body warm, and pulled a chunk of my hair from above my ear and watched it grow.

Then, my mind jumped back to Fernando putting the cloth to my face and a sudden intense pain had me groaning. The flower shrunk and turned brown, then died.

My eyes finally flew open.

I sat up with a gasp, realizing that I was covered with sweat. My muscles were sore from fighting with Fernando yet _again_, and my right arm was wrapped in bandages. I felt more of them on my thighs and waist.

I groaned and grabbed at my head; it was throbbing painfully. It was almost nothing to what I had suffered, and I accepted it almost gratefully. Hopefully a headache would be what I would fear for right now, and not a beating.

"Rapunzel?"

Fernidia?

I felt myself being pushed back on the bed. I realized how groggy I was the second after I registered my headache. "Ferns?"

"Rapunzel, do you remember what happened?"

I felt mildly ashamed that I could hear my words slur. "I fell off a waterfall, Fernidia." Fer_niiidiiiaaa. . ._

I felt a cool cloth on my forehead. "She's awake?"

Who was it now? The voices almost the same. My head was still throbbing.

"I think I banged my head, Ferns." I smiled in discomfort. Smiling was always nice. "And smiling is nice."

I felt her presence leave the room. I kept talking though, trying to get the whole story out. I was so sure that I'd forget something. I didn't want to go to sleep.

"Ferns, come back." I tried to speak clearly, my mind fogging as my head pounded. "I fell off the waterfall and meet _this_ guy named Fernando." It came out as 'Fernandu'. Fernandu? _What?_ I tried harder, my head flaring. "He hit me. _A lot_."

A few people must have entered the room because now I was hearing urgent whispers.

"And he said that we'd have _children_ and I don't want any with him because," I had to get a grip. My voice was slurring on the words that meant the most. _Childrun. . ._

"Is she all right? Whatever he put in that cloth, we really need to find out. This might be dangerous." I ignored that silky voice, just for right now. Eugene was in here, I think.

I lost my train of thought.

Wait. _Eugene was _here_? _I had to tell him something.

"Eugene," I was trying to stay conscious now.

"Yes, Rapunzel?" His voice. I missed his voice.

He bent next to me, and I could smell his spicy cologne. I tried to open my eyes. I had managed it before.

"I'm sorry for," I was tempted to slap myself. I was so out of it, so full of whatever was on that cloth. "What you thought I did. I didn't mean it, really. I fell off a waterfall and met _this_ guy named Fernando." I smiled because I said his name right. "And he threatened me." I felt tears slide down my face. "He was terrible, hitting me and _trying_ to _try_." I hoped he knew what I was getting at. "And he never left me alone. He would shackle me to a wall and hit me. He would make me sing and heal the bruises away. And then I had nightmares about yo_u_. I dreamed that you thought that I had left you for someone else, and that you hated me. I guess that was a hint, right, because _lookie_!" I made my arms move and gestured around us.

I was starting to hate Fernando for making me this way. I was so groggy I didn't know what I was saying. I tried again.

"Eugene, you know that I didn't mean to-"

His warm lips stopped me.

I watched with blurring vision as he politely shooed everyone out. "We'll get it out of her when she's not groggy on whatever he put on that cloth." His voice was formal. He addressed my father, I think, next. "Do they still have him and the cloth in custody?"

"Yes, and I'll make sure to get Fernidia and Olivia on the cloth as soon as possible. I don't like this anymore than you do, Eugene."

Eugene closed the door behind them, before lying next to me.

He played with my hair, but I couldn't tell what color it was.

He kissed me on the cheek when he saw that I was dozing off again.

I tried to speak right _this_ time. "Eugene?" My voice sounded like me again.

"Yes?" His breath was on my damp cheeks.

"I love you."

Sleep enveloped me then, but I heard him say it. There was no doubt in his voice, only the sincere truth.

"I love you, too."


	18. Fernando Brothers

Chapter Eighteen **Eugene's Point of View**

She was pale the moment Eugene had her in his arms. He followed the knights on Maximus's back. Pascal was staring down at Rapunzel with intense eyes, hoping that they would open.

"Rapunzel?" Eugene tried to wake her up. He stroked her cheek with his free hand, his fingers relishing her soft skin.

"Rapunzel, can you hear me?" He wanted to see if she would open her eyes, even for a moment. He bent down to her ear to whisper that he loved her while Maximus carried them through the woods.

When they made it to the palace, the King and Queen were already standing at the gate. As it opened, they could see their daughter and the Queen began to run through the opening gate.

Eugene climbed off of Maximus and held her close to him while the Queen began to cry, stroking Rapunzel's long blond hair.

"She's fine." Eugene murmured to Rapunzel's mother, following her into the palace. Rapunzel's father turned a gaze of such intense gratitude on Eugene that Eugene could only nod at him. Eugene was grateful too.

Fernidia was running up to them, her long blue dress streaming out behind her. Olivia, her younger sister, was talking to the King hurriedly.

"Did they find the young male who had her?" The King was asking Olivia.

Olivia was pacing. "I don't know, and I don't care. Rapunzel _needs_ me and Fernidia to treat her right now." Olivia's frantic blue gaze was on Rapunzel's pale form.

Eugene looked at the King. "They have him." The King looked relieved for a moment and then his expression turned serious. Eugene looked down at Rapunzel's pale face as sweat beads began to pop up on her forehead. "Let me take Rapunzel to the quarters we've used before."

Eugene followed Olivia and Fernidia to the room, and placed Rapunzel softly on the bed.

He found the King waiting for him outside. The King gestured for Eugene to follow him into the room across from the throne.

"Did you know him? This Fernando?" The King was abruptly furious, furious at finally finding Rapunzel only to find her unconscious.

"The name is familiar." Eugene held his hands up.

"Familiar how?" The King paced the small room.

"When I came here, to train as a swordsman before we were to be married, I recall hearing the name Fernando several times." Eugene tried to think. It was true, when he and Rapunzel had returned to the kingdom, the King and the leader of the Knights, Guy Starnes had insisted that Eugene learn how to fight skillfully to protect himself and Rapunzel.

The King left the room to bring Guy in. Guy was a handsome lad, with green eyes and strong muscles. He was to marry Olivia, Eugene tried to remember.

"Fernando was one of my training men." Guy paused. "He was excellent at sword fighting and physical attacks. He changed several times whenever I saw him. Sometimes his hair was black and then it would change to brown." He stopped to think. "His demeanor would change too. He would be mean and angry some days then almost pleasantly happy."

"_What?"_ The King said. Eugene couldn't blame him. How could Fernando change his hair color, and then his demeanor? Was it possible?

Guy nodded. "His eyes would change too, which meant-"

It clicked now.

This realization left them in silence.

Eugene stood up, his eyes wide. "They're twins."


	19. Too Close

Chapter Nineteen

I felt my fingers twitch in my sleep. Briefly, I tried to surface to consciousness, wondering if I'd actually be sober this time.

"Rapunzel?" I heard Eugene call my name and soft fingers grab my own. "Are you awake?"

I managed to open my eyes. Eugene helped me sit up.

"You all right?" Eugene sat down on the bed, his eyes anxiously on my face. "You've been out a while."

I couldn't look at him.

"Rapunzel?" Eugene's hand released my fingers and traveled up to my chin. I peered at him, almost sure I was still asleep. Eugene was here? Did that mean that he forgave me? And how did I get here?

"Where am I?" My voice was mostly clear.

"The palace, you're safe now." Eugene's voice was quiet. "You're okay, you're back home."

I looked back down at my hands. I felt off somehow.

"He hit me, Eugene." I said even more quiet than him. "He wouldn't leave me alone."

Eugene shushed me quietly, tilting my face to his with his hand. "I know, Rapunzel. But he won't touch you anymore."

"But Eugene," tears sprang from my eyes. "He _tried_ to _try_." I stopped then. I couldn't tell Eugene had how close Fernando had gotten.

"Rapunzel," Eugene stared into my eyes, wiping the tears away with his fingers. "that doesn't matter. He could have gotten to you and I still wouldn't have cared."

I started crying then, and asked him to grab Olivia and Fernidia. He left after they were inside, intent on giving me space.

"Rapunzel!" Olivia's arms were wrapped around me, mindful of the bandages.

I cried into her shoulder. Maybe I could tell them.

"Shush, Rapunzel." Fernidia was stroking my hair in a motherly way. "It's all right."

"It's not." I said through the overwhelming tears. "It's really not."

I am trying to hide in the bathroom. I look up at the windows, wondering if I could have pulled myself out. There is no point, the windows are too high.

"Rapunzel?" Fernando's voice meant run now. Run and hide.

"I'm still bathing." Will that make him leave me alone? I am actually fully clothed in my nightgown that Fernando insists that I wear around the house. I am glad, and only because I don't want to wear anything he would have bought for me.

The door creaks open.

My breath comes in gasps as he opens the door further, peeking in on me. "Are you going to stop fighting now?"

I shake my head while inside I internally question the point. I am still going to be stuck here, still shackled on the wall. Still hit and handled. Maybe I should stop fighting.

Fernando steps in, his gray eyes cautiously taking in my fully clothed body. His lips make a sly grin and he closes the door behind him.

Before I realize it, I am on the floor. I am kicking and struggling, my hands trying to yank fistfuls of his hair out. He seems immune to my struggles and pins me down with his body, letting me exhaust myself.

I slow as my breath sped up. He can't be doing this. This isn't happening. Fernando has lost his cloak in the struggle and is now only wearing shorts. He grabs the hem of my nightgown and pushes it up to my waist. I manage to small slap across the face and try to pull myself on top of him.

He doesn't allow it, only pin me down with his weight again. I remember the trick this time and go still, my chest heaving.

He lowers his ear to my cheek. "You're never going to get out of this." His hands turn into claws, digging into my arms. "I will have you one day."

I groan painfully as he scratches at my yellowing bruises on my arms. He feels me slowly grow limp under him and spreads my legs. I try to close them, my soreness of the past month and the recent fight really getting to me. I almost feel as if I can hardly move.

He squares his hips, his voice drawing into a sugary slur. "This'll only hurt a minute, darling, and then-"

There is a knock at the door. Fernando's desire-filled eyes turn sour and he yanks me off the floor as he stands up. He carries me to the room where the shackles were and shackles me in.

He goes to the door, and I hear him speak. "Dwayne!"

"Fernando." The voice – it was much like Fernando's- chuckles before adding, "May I come in?"

"One moment." Fernando walks back into the room. He grins at me and I see his fist coming to my face before darkness slams on me.

Olivia was fighting back tears while Fernidia looked murderously angry. "Rapunzel-" She started.

Olivia cut her off. "No!"

"She _needs_ to tell Eugene and the King. Can't you see, Olivia?" Fernidia was pacing, her blue dress shuffling behind her with each step. "She needs to be protected more than ever now. She'll need every guard to be watching her."

"I know, Fernidia, but-"

"She was almost _stolen_, Olivia!" Fernidia glared at her younger sister. I had forgotten that they were family. "From Eugene! And that can never happen, not to any woman, and especially not to Rapunzel."

I tried to speak. "He can't know."

"Why?" Both eyes were on me.

"Because that's not all that happened." I reminded them, hoping to distract them. It didn't happen, so why dwell on it? And _trying_ wasn't the only thing Fernando had done. "Dwayne, remember?"

They nodded in unison. "We need to figure out who _he_ is."


	20. Tell

Chapter Twenty

The next thing I know, I'm opening my eyes to Eugene's soft lips.

"Morning." His breath warms my face.

"Morning." My mind felt clearer than yesterday. Hopefully whatever was on that cloth was finally leaving my system.

"What was a secret yesterday?" He peers into my eyes. I look back at him, looking at the hair that falls onto his face, his facial hair that has been recently shaved, his soft skin. . .

"Want to tell me?"

I shook my hand, sitting up. He was lying right next to me, wearing his trademark blue vest, white cotton long sleeved shirt, dark cream pants, and brown bucket top boots. He must have been up late.

"You want to try something?" I peered at him.

"What would it be?" Something's changed between us. I know it has. Maybe because-

"One of the nobles' brother wants to speak with you, me, and the King and Queen." Eugene's voice was soft. I watched as he spoke. His eyes were suddenly darkening, almost becoming unreadable.

"I'd like to talk to him too then." I got off the bed, looking at my hair that was in a massive array of long blond tendrils.

"I'll let you get ready." When Eugene's voice reached me, I realized that he had left the room.

**Eugene's Point of View**

He knocked quietly on the door. "Michael?"

A tall blond man opened the door, his dark brown eyes tired. They glowed with life when they saw him. "Eugene! You ready for me?"

Eugene nodded. "She's awake. The stuff seems to be out of her system."

Michael stepped out into the hallway, closing the door behind him. His brown eyes were filled with laughter. "She's sober?"

Eugene cracked a smile. "As good as she'll be. Olivia thinks the effects might last a few days."

Michael followed Eugene as he walked swiftly through the long hallway. "I don't like this."

"Neither do I."

They met Rapunzel, the King, and the Queen in the room Eugene had discussed the possibility of Fernando having a twin. Rapunzel was sitting down, her eyes still dark. Her pupils weren't letting up.

"Rapunzel!" Michael walked toward her, pushing back his blond hair. Rapunzel smiled timidly and shook hands with him. Eugene watched in humor as Michael caught her hand before she pulled it back and kissed the top of it. "Michael Dawson."

"Pleased to meet you." Her voice only had a bit of a catch. Eugene questioned himself, standing next to the King. Maybe she was still deeply affected. Guy Starnes, Olivia, and Fernidia were their audience.

"All right." Michael grinned as he gazed at the watching pair. His eyes lingered on Fernidia. She eyed him warily while Olivia grinned a small smile. Michael looked back at Rapunzel. "I'm going to do a few relaxation exercises, okay?"

Rapunzel nodded, becoming more cautious.

"Take deep breaths in and out." Michael crouched down to stare into her eyes. "In."

Rapunzel inhaled, her eyes on his face cautiously.

"Out."

She exhaled, fingering her hair nervously.

Michael caught on. "You don't need to be afraid. This will help relax you."

Rapunzel nodded and tried to concentrate.

"In and out. In and out."

Within a few minutes, Rapunzel seemed at ease and was subconsciously leaning in to hear Michael's voice.

"All right. Whenever I touch your forehead, you're going to not move at all." Michael's voice was quiet. "Nod if you understand."

Rapunzel's limp head managed a shaky nod.

"I want you to look at Fernidia," Michael's eyes never left Rapunzel's face, "and start crying."

Eugene blinked in confusion while Fernidia looked puzzled. The King and Queen were busy watching Rapunzel.

"When I count to three, you're going to look at Fernidia and cry." Michael stood up straight. "One, two three!"

Rapunzel gazed at Fernidia, her eyes swelling with tears. To everyone's surprise, she started bawling, her hands frequently wiping away tears.

Michael yanked on Rapunzel's arms. "Stop crying!"

Rapunzel stopped mid-sob and stared at Michael.

Guy murmured in disbelief. "Bloody hell! That's-"

He stopped when Olivia stared at him. He looked at Eugene to grin.

Michael's voice yanked them back in attention. "Eugene," Eugene looked up. "When Rapunzel comes over to you, I want you to say, 'Hello! I'm Eugene, what's your name?' all right?"

Eugene nodded, his eyes turning dark with nervousness.

Michael looked back at Rapunzel. "When you stand up and go to Eugene, you're going to forget your name. And. . ." Rapunzel looked at Michael. "Stand!" He said loudly.

Rapunzel got up, not shaking at all. She went to in front of Eugene. He grinned his smolder at her. "Hello! I'm Eugene, what's your name?"

Rapunzel smiled back. "Hi! I'm. . ." She paused, her eyes turning confused. "I'm. . ." She looked around anxiously. "My name is. . ."

Everyone except Michael was shocked. She had forgotten her name!

Michael came up behind Rapunzel. He touched her forehead and she froze. "You're going to remember that your name is Rapunzel and you're going to kiss Eugene passionately."

Eugene arched an eyebrow at Michael who grinned back.

"Okay, go!"

Rapunzel looked at Eugene, her eyes going soft. "I-I remember now. I'm Rapunzel, nice to meet you." Then she wrapped her arms around Eugene and her lips met his.

It took all of Eugene's will to remember that they weren't on their honeymoon, back at the tower. That they weren't in a room of privacy.

That they weren't in a room with Rapunzel's parents watching them intently.

But that didn't stop him from saying, "Nice to meet _you_." Eugene said around Rapunzel's soft lips.

Rapunzel didn't stop until Michael commanded her too. Eugene felt mildly disappointed. He hadn't kissed her like that in months, since he had gone to talk to Olivia that day when Rapunzel had laid on the bed, writhing in pain-

"Stop." Michael's voice broke their concentration. Rapunzel broke away, her lips inches from Eugene's. Michael made her sit back down. Eugene grinned to himself. She was flushed now, her skin bright with color. He had missed that too.

"You need to come _all_ the time." Eugene grinned at Michael. Michael managed a crooked smile.

"Now, the heart of the matter." Michael looked around the room. "Rapunzel, do you have something to tell us?"

Rapunzel blinked when he added, "Be honest."

"No." Rapunzel brushed her hair away.

"Yes you do." Michael crouched down in front of her again. "What happened with Fernando? When he had gotten so close?"

Rapunzel almost seemed to snap out of it. "I don't want-"

"Don't want to what? You don't want to _not_ tell us?" Michael stared into her eyes.

"I don't want to not-" Rapunzel's fingers twitched and she started to go pale. Michael ignored it, but Eugene could see alarm growing in the room as he stood up straight to pace in front of Rapunzel, meeting Eugene's eyes.

"Tell us Rapunzel." Michael looked back at her. "How close had he gotten?"

"Too close." Rapunzel swallowed nervously. Eugene really didn't like this now. Michael was turning her into something she wasn't: a timid, scared, nervous young woman. Eugene knew the Rapunzel he loved.

"What happened? Tell us that, Rapunzel?"

The King looked at Eugene. "He's only to make her reveal this and nothing more."

"The location." Eugene muttered back quietly. "We need to know where he lives."

The King nodded and watched as Rapunzel faltered.

Rapunzel was looking at Michael. "Michael, I don't-"

Michael touched her forehead, watching with a grim face when she froze. "I think you do, Rapunzel."

Rapunzel faltered again.

"Tell us."

She then started talking, her voice a quiet whisper that the whole room had to lean in to hear her.

"I-I was trying to hide in the bathroom. I looked up at the windows, wondering if I could have pulled myself out. There was no point, the windows were too high.

"Fernando stepped in the washroom, seeing me stand there.

"Before I could stop him, I was on the floor. I started struggling, but he stopped me.

"He eventually said, "You're never going to get out of this." His hands turned into claws, digging into my arms.

"I couldn't move fast enough. Maybe this was why Eugene had gone, because I was too slow. . .

"He was so close. But right when he. . . Positioned himself there was a knock at the door. Fernando went to answer it after he yanked me off the floor as he stood up. He carried me to the room where the shackles were and shackled me in.

"He went to the door, and I heard him speak. " 'Dwayne'," Their voices actually sounded almost the same, but I didn't really notice that.

" 'Fernando, may I come in'?" Dwayne said.

" 'One moment'." Fernando walked back into the room. He punched me, and that was it.

Rapunzel tried to add more but her voice kept catching.

Eugene got up to give her a bone crushing hug. _My God. He almost-_

Fernidia and Olivia were looking at Rapunzel sadly. Olivia was wiping tears from her face. The Queen was struggling to keep her composure. The men looked angry, their hands clenching into fists.

"It's all right." Eugene kissed her cheek.

Michael was staring around the room, looking the angriest. "We've _got_ to do something about Fernando. And whoever Dwayne is, I want to know." He cracked his fingers, her dark brown eyes livid.

The Queen looked at Michael. "Thank you." She said slowly, her eyes wet. She hugged Michael generously while the King shook hands with Guy and Michael. He saved Eugene for last.

The King whispered in his ear. "Do _not_ let her out of your sight." Eugene nodded vigorously, not even imagining leaving Rapunzel alone.

Michael held everyone back for a moment. "When I say 'Eugene', you're going to remember that you were hypnotized and what you did, but you're going to feel really refreshed."

Rapunzel stared at him.

"_Eugene_." Michael looked at her.

Rapunzel's face glowed as a dazzling smile lit her face. "That feels good." She watched as everyone left with glowing eyes. _Man._ Michael was a force to be reckoned with. Eugene grinned.

Everyone left the room eventually, taking turns hugging Rapunzel. Michael kissed Rapunzel on the hand again. He frowned. "My sincerest apologies, Rapunzel."

She nodded at him. "It is fine, Michael. I just . . . It feels too. . ."

Michael nodded, finishing the sentence in his head. He looked at Eugene. "I'll see you around. We'll look into Dwayne, and it sounds like Fernando might live near that waterfall."

Eugene nodded, managing a soft smile. "Yeah, we'll look into it as well. See you around."

Eugene looked back at Rapunzel, who sat down on the chair. She drew her knees closer to her and hugged them, her dark eyes still on Eugene.

"Rapunzel . . ." He still couldn't tell her how sorry he was. How much he still despised himself for thinking the worst of her. "I'm really sorry for having him do that to you. But I am a bit glad that I did because," Eugene's shoulders sagged with guilt and remorse, "I had no idea. . ."

She focused her gaze on him. "It is okay, Eugene."

"No," he said. "It really isn't. When you came back, I-I thought the worst of you! I thought you hadn't loved me all this time, when you loved me so much that you fought back so hard! He had you shackled to a _wall_, beating you, and you still held faithful to me. You should have slapped me or something. I just can't believe that I got so angry that I didn't even let you explain! I should be-"

She got up and kissed him. She held him close to her. "It's all right, Eugene."

Eugene looked at her. "Rapunzel-"

She didn't let him speak, only led him to the room they were in before moving to the tower.

She kissed him again, more fiercely this time. Eugene barely noticed that he locked the door. That he was helping her undress. All he felt was her. Her skin, her curves, her lips- He had to get closer to her. So much closer.

Rapunzel pulled him onto the bed.


	21. Secret Plan

Chapter Twenty One _Azalea's Point of View_

She looked around, hardly stopping to breathe while she ran. Dwayne ran ahead of her, obviously wanting to escape as much as she did.

"Dwayne, wait!" She yelled to him. "I really don't like this idea!" Dwayne slid to a stop, causing her to collide into him. He stared at her. "What?" She tossed her blond hair behind her shoulders.

Dwayne shrugged, before turning around. Dwayne took her hand leading her to town. They had run from Fernando -_Jacob_- she corrected herself. She didn't have to pretend that his real name was Fernando. That was their last name. But they had left the house right after the boys had discussed the plan to keep the princess hostage. They were outside of her small cottage near the outside of town. It had a larger space for them to talk.

"Azal," Dwayne cooed. "I don't like it either."

She gasped and he bent his head down to level their gazes. "I hate the idea, Azal."

Azalea looked away. "Then why are you going through with it? Why do you want _me_ to help you out? _Jacob's_," she snarled the name, "feud is with Eugene, not with Rapunzel. He doesn't care about what happens to her, and if anything, he wants her hurt." Dismay caught in her voice. "He might even want her dead, Dwayne!"

Dwayne caught her in a hug when she tried to walk away from him. "Azalea," he turned her to him. "I don't want to be involved, so why would I want you to be involved? I don't want anything to happen to you."

"Then why don't you tell him to stop? You're his twin after all. Why didn't you know that he'd plan all this?" She forced her greenish gray eyes to meet his dark gray ones.

His eyes were too much like Jacob's. When she had first met the Fernando Brothers, she had marveled at the color that had been so much like her own. Now she could hardly stand to look at them when she saw them on the face of a monster that wanted to hurt a woman he didn't know.

"Twins hearing each other's thoughts is a myth." Dwayne's serious face relaxed into laughter. "A myth that has been around for centuries, I'm sure."

"Dwayne, why didn't you know that Jacob would take a woman hostage? Much less to find out that she was the princess!"

"If I could talk to my twin, I'd be beating the devil out of him right now. If I could talk to my twin, I would have been able to unshackle her without turning around to have a knife at my throat! If I could talk-"

Azalea stopped him with a kiss. The kiss did something odd to her heart, tear at it. "I know. I'm sorry, but it feels hard to stand around and do nothing, but like you said. Then I turn around to have a knife at my throat with 'Help me out' engraved on it."

She turned away, her eyes swelling with tears. "I don't want any part in her misery, Dwayne."

"Azal, I-"

"Don't you see?" She whirled around, her eyes becoming slits. "How hard it is to say no? For whatever reason, I-I _want_ to help you. But I won't, because if I were her, I'd want someone helping me. She was bruised and broken when we went in there. He might have been able to hide her from you, but not from me. A woman knows when another one is in trouble."

Azalea caught her breath. "But she was with my mother more than I was. She was able to hug for her, sing for her, cook for her-" She sank onto the grass with a sob. "Every time she would leave, I'd see a wrinkle on her face."

Dwayne stepped toward her and sat on the ground beside her. He didn't interrupt her.

"Every time she left, she'd have a wrinkle or a worried look in her eyes. But when she'd come back, it would be gone. She would look clearer, more alive and happy when she came back, then when she was leaving. I used to think that it was my fault that she'd seem so dead and creased because when she came back, she would be glowing. So I started to tell her to come back home less often, that instead of seeing her every two weeks that I could manage seeing her once a month. But I'd burn inside because that was my _mother_ I was telling to go away."

Dwayne shushed her with a murmur. "Then why say no? If she hurt you that much with that other girl who was just as old as you, why not? Why not hurt the girl back?"

Azalea wiped away tears. "Dwayne, what are you saying? I thought you wanted no part of this."

His eyes hardened. "I didn't know how hard you were fighting to say no to me. If you'll feel better, then go ahead, Azal. Do it."

_Jacob._ The name flashed in her mind as Dwayne transformed. That was another painful part of being with Dwayne. Jacob never turned into Dwayne, Dwayne only turned into Jacob. "Dwayne, you're scaring me. I don't want her hurt. She's just like me in every way."

"No," he said softly, "she's not. She kept your mother from you!"

"She didn't know about me-"

"Azal," he looked at her with a sorrowful face. "do this for me, for _him_, and then we'll never speak of it again."

"What we're doing could get someone killed."

"You think Jacob doesn't know that?" Dwayne grinned, and Azalea backs away.

"Dwayne?"

"We're doing it, Azal." Azal had realized that they were in town surrounded by people when Dwayne had disappeared. "It might save him."

_I don't want to do this._ She thought painfully. She knew what she had to do. Jacob was losing himself. If it could save him, as long as Jacob didn't hurt her. . .

The decision was made.

At sunset, she'd have to prepare her cottage. And in the morning, she'd have to scream 'Fernando'.

_Just like crying wolf._


	22. Back Home

Chapter Twenty Two

I opened my eyes, staring around in confusion. Eugene is right next to me, deeply asleep. I stared at the lavender bedspread. This isn't the tower.

I pulled the covers more tightly over me, smelling the scent of burnt wood. I had forgotten that the room had a fireplace. But when had we lit it? Last night when we had barged in, our hands locked in each other's hair, we hadn't lit the fireplace. Had someone came in while we were asleep or-

The thought had my cheeks burning.

Eugene groaned.

I glanced at him, seeing that his eyes were still closed. Was he asleep still? I shifted closer to him, my eyes locked onto his handsome face. I had missed him so much.

Eugene's face twisted with an unreadable emotion. I leaned over him, worried. "Eugene?"

His eyelids fluttered but then went still. Sweat beads popped on his forehead. I sat up, my hands reaching for his face. "Eugene?"

He groaned again, and then sat up with a yelp, his eyes flying open.

"Eugene?" My hands hang in midair. "Are you okay?"

He looked at me with darkness in his eyes. Eugene took me in his arms. I hugged him back, my arms tentatively around his bare back. He bent his neck down to sniff at my hair and for a fleeting moment, I worried that he would push me away.

I remained silent when he moved his face to kiss my cheek.

"I-I'm fine." Eugene said. "Nightmare."

"You were groaning in your sleep." I said, concern in my voice. I pulled away gently. "What was it about?"

He stared at me with his hazel eyes that suddenly seem to have gone dark brown. "I dreamed that I had lost you again. Only to find you but you were. . ."

I looked at him. "I was?" He didn't answer right away.

"Dead." He said finally. "I found you, but then you died. You left me permanently."

I tried not to shiver. "How did I die?"

Eugene grimaced. "You were lying down, holding something. There was something on your clothes, it wasn't dark. Just a stain. But seeing it made me cringe. I wished so strongly that I had died too, to be with you." His brows bent down with puzzlement. "I had wanted to be with you and someone else. But I didn't know who he or she was. I-I think you were holding him."

We sat on the bed in silence.

"Eugene," I tried to distract him, "someone lit the fireplace."

Eugene jumped with shock. "Oh God!" He froze. "No, wait." He relaxes. "I did that."

His cheeks began to burn. We must have had the same thought. "Glad I did, I would have hated to have Fernidia or Guy come in and see us preoccupied."

I sighed in relief, looking around the room. It seemed to be early dawn. "Do you want to get up now?"

Eugene shook his head. "No. The dream was on repeat for whatever reason. I felt the same pain over and over and over again. Didn't get a wink of sleep." He grimaced.

I kissed him on the cheek. "I need to get moving then."

He laid back down. "What do you mean?"

"I just need to walk around. I feel like I've laid around for a week." I said, moving to the edge of the bed.

"Don't leave the palace." Eugene said. I looked back at him to fake a grimace.

"All right." I said, standing up. I moved toward the door.

"No! Don't go anywhere." Eugene sat up, staring at me with his hazel eyes that suddenly seemed brighter. "I'm enjoying the view!"

I posed by the threshold of the bathroom. "Don't make me go over there."

Eugene smiled his smolder. "Please do."

I grinned and strode over to kiss him. "Get some sleep."

"Right." He said as I pushed him back down on the pillow. "Like I could sleep after just seeing you like that."

"You act like we never get together, Eugene." I moved back toward the door, my voice teasing.

"It's never enough." Eugene moaned.

I grinned and closed the bathroom door. I sponged myself down before changing into one of my rare colors. A red bodice with pink sleeves and I put on red shoes with a small heel. Mother had begun to tell me that I needed to wear heels. I still saw no reason to, but I did feel a bit taller wearing them.

I combed my hair back with my fingers and planned to wash my face. I picked up the washbowl but a stunning pain behind my eyelids has it falling from my hands. It crashed into the ground with a very unmusical sound.

A long scream is exploding from my lungs when I feel myself fall down. My heart began to hammer in my chest so painfully it causes me to scream longer. I picture the dead flower in the back of my mind. Knowing that it needs to turn yellow for the pain to stop, I groped around in my mind for a happy thought but all I can think of is the pain in my chest.

"Rapunzel!" The voices are much quieter this time. I can hardly hear them. Hangs banging on the door sounded much quieter than the voices. "Rapunzel!"

I answered back with another piercing scream. I tried to pull myself off the floor but I can't feel anything but my head and chest which both feel like they're about to explode. The petals began to fall from the flower.

The door flew open with a loud bang that almost jolted me out of it. Hands that I can barely feel tugged me off the floor. I heard my song in my ears.

It was my song. But the voice wasn't mine. Someone was singing it in a slightly higher pitch. The flower petals turned darker still, a black. The sight of seeing the flower turning black made my heartbeat falter. I hadn't realized that I had stopped screaming when I could hear the voices louder and clearer.

My heartbeat faltered again, and then stopped for an entire second.

"What's going on?" Olivia's voice is shrill and sounded nearby.

"It's happened before, right before she went missing." Eugene's voice sounded right above my head. I tried to open my eyes but they flutter. My heartbeat resumed it constant beat and I felt the pain leach away.

"Rapunzel?" Michael? His hand stroked my cheek. "Can you open your eyes?"

I groaned as my eyes fluttered open.

Eugene panted right next to me. "You all right?"

I managed a nod and sit up despite the dizziness in my head. Everything seemed too bright. "I-I fell." I said. "I broke the washbowl and fell. I couldn't breathe." I gazed around in panic. "I felt my heartbeat stop."

They looked at me with scared eyes. Eugene seemed stricken. "You're okay now, you hear?"

I nodded and noticed that Guy is wiping up the water. "I'm sorry."

He manages a small smile and finishes wiping. "Fernidia can sweep, but the water is up." He took my hand and pulled me off the floor. "What did you see?"

"What?" Olivia wondered.

"She must see things when she goes down like that." Guy defends himself.

I nodded. "Just the same thing every time. Dead sun flower." I still didn't know what made it die.

Michael and Eugene stood by the door. "Hopefully the flower will stop dying." Michael said.

Eugene and Olivia escorted me out into the garden. Olivia looked at Eugene. "Someone's seen Dwayne."

I looked at her with wide eyes. "Really?"

She nodded, her hair shining in the bright sun. The sun felt good on my skin. "He was at her cottage this morning. Made an attempt to get her for Fernando, I suppose."

Guy came up behind me, making me jump. "Speaking of which, we got the wrong guy."

"_What_?" Eugene's hands clenched into fists.

"That guy we got is a distant cousin. Had no idea about the whole thing. He had only been told to grab the beautiful blonde with overflowing hair and to take her to Fernando's house." Guy Starnes's eyes turned dark. "He called Fernando a different name. He called him Jacob."

"Oh God." Eugene grimaced. "He was in-"

"Training with us, I know. Jacob and Dwayne. The Fernando Brothers." Guy slapped his hand to his forehead. "I should have known."

"Guy, it is fine. But had Dwayne left? Did he leave any trace of him being there behind?" I said.

Olivia and Guy nodded. Guy spoke, "He left the house in a mess. Furniture and clothes thrown everywhere. The woman is badly shaken up, sporting a few bruises. She's at the meadow in the kingdom's gardens right now, shaking it off."

"I want to go see her." I said. We had no idea if Dwayne was just as abusive as Fernando was. "I would know what she is going through."

"Odd enough," Guy looked at me, "she wanted to see you too, Rapunzel."

Eugene took my hand. "I'll come too."

Olivia grimaced. "The problem is we got all of this information from the women of the temple. You know, my sister, me, and several of the maids. She's afraid to be around men."

I nodded at that then turned to Eugene. "Olivia will take me. I'll be fine."

Eugene shook his head. "What just happened in the bathroom-"

"-was an accident and it won't happen again." I interrupted. I had the strangest urge to talk to the young woman.

"Can you control it?" Eugene stared at me with darkening eyes.

"I'll be fine." I said, avoiding his question.

Eugene held my gaze for a long moment before nodding. "Don't leave the palace."


	23. A Known Song

Chapter Twenty Three

Olivia grabbed my shoulder. "Will do, Eugene. We'll be back before sunset."

I followed her into the garden, gazing at the wide range of colors on the wild flowers that sprang up around the planted ones.

There are no guards here, only the long meadow that extended to the forests at least a mile away from where we stood. The garden is like a back door out of the kingdom, once out, the only way you could get back inside was through the door you had gone out of inside the palace, or all the way around to the entrance of the castle.

"I only want to talk to the princess." The voice is quiet. I waved Olivia away and made sure she went through the doors before turning back.

"We're alone now." I said, walking toward her. She had long blond hair that is so much like mine, I almost gasped in shock.

"I'm Azalea." She said slowly. She stood up to face me. Her eyes are familiar to mine, too. A green that only seems gray at a glance.

"I'm sorry, Azalea, for what Dwayne did to you." I said, looking at her up and down. She is as tall as me. She physically looks just like me, from front to back. It's only her voice that would have made you thought twice to call her by my name. It is a slight octave higher than mine.

"What Dwayne did to me?" Azalea looked puzzled. "Dwayne didn't hurt me."

"Who did then?" I stepped closer to her. "You're obviously shaken. Someone must have hurt you, Azalea."

Azalea smiled. "I'm fine, Rapunzel. No one hurt me." I looked at her face. Where are the bruises? Then I see small gray patches on her dress. She had-

I heard my song in the back of my mind.

"They're only hurting you, Rapunzel." A shadow flickered behind her greenish gray eyes. "I'm just helping them out. This might be the only time you see me."

I stepped backwards, fear leaking into my veins. "What?"

"Jacob and Dwayne?" Azalea murmured softly. "Dwayne doesn't want anything to do with it, only helping me because I wanted to do my small part. But Jacob is after you, Rapunzel."

She had me on the ground so fast that I hardly exhaled. I pushed myself up only to realize that she had my neck in her arms in a headlock.

"_Flower gleam and glow_," she sings in my ear. Her voice is just like mine but higher. An echo of dizziness filled my body, making it hard for me to move. It made it hard for me to _want_ to move. "_Let your power shine_."

"Azalea, please don't."

"_Make the clock reverse. Bring back what once was mine_." Azalea snarled in my ear her next words. "You had my mother to yourself. That is the only reason I'm doing this."

"_Heal what has been hurt. Change the fate's design. Save what has been lost_." Azalea's grip is too hard for me to break. I sagged limp in her arms. "_Save what has been lost. Bring back what once was mine. What once was mine_."

She pushed me away when she finished the song. I gazed at her with terrified eyes while I inhaled air, gasping. She knew the song!

Azalea changes before my eyes. Her hair grows several feet long and her eyes turn greener.

"Azalea, what have you done?" I can hardly speak.

I stared down at her clothes. She is wearing a gray bodice with lighter gray sleeves and dress. I looked back at her when she spoke. "I'm imitating you. This is my part, Rapunzel."

Someone comes up behind me and puts a cloth on my face.

The smell is the last thing I'm aware of as my entire world goes black.


	24. Disguise

Chapter Twenty Four **Eugene's Point of View**

He sat on the outside of the garden door, intent not to eavesdrop but not wanting to leave Rapunzel's side. Here he was.

Breaking his promise.

"Eugene?" Olivia was walking out. The heavy door closed behind her with a loud clang. "What are you doing?"

"Sitting here." Eugene had to smirk. "I can't leave her alone." A hollowness entered his voice.

Olivia cooed in sympathy and sat down next to him, making sure her long dress covered her legs. "I can understand that you don't want anything to happen to her." She seemed to think for a moment. "Especially now. No one seems safe anyone."

She folded her arms to her chest, seeming to shrink. "I don't like it."

Eugene patted her shoulder. "It will be fine. Hopefully the young woman can tell us where we might be able to find Dwayne." He went quiet. "Did they let go of the man? Of the distant cousin?"

Olivia nodded. "He was grateful to have someone believe him. He said he had been talking about how he was innocent for days."

Eugene frowned, and then looked around. "I hate it." He sighed.

"Hate what?"

"I feel like I have to watch my back nowadays." He stood up to do a full turn, looking everywhere. "Like someone might come up behind me or something."

"Someone like me?" The hairs on Eugene's neck stood up.

Eugene whirled around, his hands clenched in fists.

He relaxed. It was Rapunzel.

She was smiling faintly as she looked him over. A strange realization seemed to make her eyes dim-

Her eyes.

Eugene's face burst into a grin and Eugene pulled her in a bone crushing hug. "Your eyes!"

"What's happened to them?" Rapunzel pulled away quickly. Eugene felt offended for a moment, but the feeling disappeared when Rapunzel kissed his cheek.

Eugene looked at her. "They're green again!"

"They weren't green before?" Rapunzel's voice filled with confusion.

Eugene grinned. "You're so forgetful," a thought crossed his mind. _How could she forget something like that?_ "From the visions? They would make your eyes turn dark."

Olivia spoke, reminding Eugene that she was still there. "What did the woman say?"

"Her name is Azalea," Rapunzel said a bit sharply. Eugene and Olivia's face froze in surprise. "She had to go; she wanted to clean up her house."

"Oh." Olivia blinked. "We were hoping to talk to her."

"No," Rapunzel shook her head, "she doesn't like to be around men too much right now."

Eugene nodded. "I can understand that."

Olivia guided them back to their room. Eugene stopped at the door. "Thanks, Olivia."

Olivia smiled and said, "I'll tell Fernidia that everything went okay."

Rapunzel opened the door, letting herself in. Eugene followed her, and pulled her towards him.

She leaned in, but her face changed.

"Rapunzel?" Eugene pulled away quickly, looking at her eyes. Was she having another vision?

"I feel sick." She clutched her mouth and then raced off to the bathroom. Eugene could hear her through the door. She was sick.

He went to knock on the door. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," she gasped, "just having a weak moment."

Eugene opened the door, not bothering to knock anymore. "Do you need to lie down?" He pushed her hair from her face. She stood up to rinse out the empty washbowl.

"I think so."

Eugene made sure she got into bed, and then saw what she was wearing. "When did you change clothes?"

She met his eyes. "I changed in the meadow, Olivia handed it to me."

_But I didn't see her with the red dress,_ Eugene thought. He shrugged it away and smiled coyly. "You changed in the meadow?"

"Yes, it was quite a thrill." She smiled back.

"You should have let me see that." Eugene complained. He got in the bed and pulled the covers over them after he kicked off his boots.

Rapunzel grimaced. "No, you would have been disgusted."

"Why?" Eugene met her eyes and pushed hair from her face.

"I-I still have bruises from Jacob," Rapunzel began, and then stopped. Eugene saw her eyes swell up.

"Don't cry, it's okay." Eugene kissed her gently. "He won't touch you again."

A shadow flickered behind Rapunzel's eyes and she began to sob. Soon, Eugene's shirt and the pillow under Rapunzel's head was soaked with tears.

"I feel bad." Rapunzel managed to gasp during her sobs.

"Why?" Eugene kissed her gently again.

"Because I let him have her- I mean me." Rapunzel looked at Eugene with her beautiful green eyes. He had missed the emerald green so much. "I started referring myself as a different person when Jacob had me, I-"

Eugene shushed by stroking her cheek gently. "You don't have to explain."

Rapunzel shook her head and took a shaky deep breath.

For a short while, the room was quiet. Eugene was almost sinking into sleep when Rapunzel asked, "What's going to happen to Dwayne if we get him?"

Eugene tried to respond, "We might have to have him on trial." His voice hardened. "Something is happening to Fernan- Jacob, I mean. He's hit you too many times."

Rapunzel's breath stirred his cheek. "All right." She said.

"You don't mind, do you? About Dwayne?" He asked sleepily. "I know he didn't hit you or anything, but he did stop by. He could have reported the fights if he had the mind to."

"I think Jacob made him be quiet about it." Rapunzel said. She was drifting asleep too.

"I suppose. But then why did he talk to Azalea this morning then?" Eugene frowned. "It doesn't add up."

Rapunzel kissed him on the nose. "Get some sleep, you're not coherent."

"Sure, sure." Eugene drifted off. "Don't leave." He remembered his dream.

"I won't." Rapunzel's voice was the last thing he heard.


	25. Friendly

Chapter Twenty Five

I was disoriented when I woke up. I almost felt light headed when my eyes focused on my surroundings. I was in a room with bare wooden walls and floors. I was lying across a hard surface, and feeling had drained from my arms and legs. Metal gripped my wrists and ankles; my eyes felt wet. Was I crying?

Why?

I realized that I was lying against a wall. _What?_ I questioned my reasoning with a sluggish mind. I wasn't lying against a wall. I was shackled to it.

"Where?" I couldn't say, _Where am I?_ I cleared my dry throat, swallowed, and tried again. "Where am I?"

"You're back in my loving care, Rapunzel." The voice was painfully familiar. I tried to recognize the face that was standing at the door. The person had dark hair and gray eyes. He was wearing a black cloak. I couldn't make it add up, but my body knew who he was.

I felt my throat tighten with pleas and forced them down. I was fine. I just needed to think-

I remembered who he was in a flash. _Jacob._

I pressed myself against the wall, already bracing for pain. Would he hit me?

Jacob walked toward me, appraising me with his eyes. "I'm not going to hurt you." I couldn't believe it. I shook my head at him and ignored his words. Actions spoke loudest.

"Let me go then." I managed to say. I wasn't mentally ready to fight him. My thoughts were coming and going in small bursts, and I couldn't make them more organized.

Jacob unshackled me, gazing into my eyes. He smiled a tiny smile and rubbed my shoulder with warm hands. He took one of them and led me into the kitchen. I sat down on one of the wooden chairs and watched him flit about the kitchen.

It was strange. He was almost humming to himself as he lit the fire to boil water for soup. Even stranger, he never once came over to me and hit me. Never once did he even look at me with nothing other than a smile on his face.

It was bizarre, and made me suddenly feel like I took up space. I was left alone the whole day. He left me alone.

I felt odd when it was time for bed. Surely he would try to mess with me? Tell me that it was all a joke?

When we went to bed, I almost felt at ease. Maybe Jacob had been going through a hard time and just took it out on me.

As I sunk into unconsciousness, I desperately hoped so.

_Azalea's Point of View_

She stared at the Goldfinch Sisters with barely concealed incredulousness. Rapunzel talked to these girls? Azalea tried not to be jealous. All of her friends had either betrayed her by telling rumors about her, or moved to other villages. Either way, she tried not to trust people so easily.

Dwayne had been one of the types of men she tried to avoid. Someone who was handsome did not make them good hearted.

"Rapunzel, why don't you try this one on?" Azalea looked at the fabric Olivia was holding. It was a dress, one made for Rapunzel's shape. It had a white bodice with white long sleeves, while the dress was pink and the sleeves had pink blossoms on the sides.

Azalea smiled genuinely and pulled the dress over her head. Today, for whatever reason, Fernidia had said that Rapunzel needed new dresses. Olivia had made the announcement to the kingdom with the king's permission at one of the village gatherings, and everyone had pitched in a dress for Rapunzel to wear. Azalea's smile wavered. She had only known how to be loved, and that only came from her mother occasionally, and Dwayne. Azalea had never known what it meant to be awed. It was unnerving.

Azalea looked at the dress. "I like it." She had to hope Rapunzel would like it as well.

"Better than the blue one with the back out?" Fernidia questioned her.

She nodded. "I did like the design on it."

Olivia grinned and nodded in agreement. "It was pretty."

As Azalea pulled on another dress, she felt guilty. _I feel like I just fed her to the sharks,_ she thought in despair, _I wish I hadn't given Rapunzel to Dwayne._

It was a while before they had finished trying on all the dresses. The Queen had even gotten a dress made for herself, and for the ball a few months away, Rapunzel and the Queen would have their reunion dance.

The ball was on the day Rapunzel had been kidnapped by Mother Gothel, and the idea of dancing in Rapunzel's place made Azalea feel guiltier than ever.

"Maybe I can speed this up," she wondered out loud.

"Speed what up?" Michael strode into the room, his eyes on one girl in particular. He grabbed the girls' hands and kissed them. His lips lingered on Fernidia's, and Azalea had to repress a giggle. Fernidia blushed when his lips moved away, then focused on Michael's face when he started talking.

Olivia and Azalea exchanged knowing glances. Azalea felt her guilt begin to crush her.

Michael eventually led them into the room. Azalea had a chance to look out the window. It was early afternoon, and it was her eighth day here. Azalea almost wanted to yank her hair out with the stress.

"Rapunzel, Eugene is waiting in the room." Azalea knew which room.

"Thanks, Michael." Azalea grinned at Fernidia. "Have _fun_."

Fernidia stuck her tongue out at Azalea before Michael could see. She and Azalea shared a quiet laugh before the Goldfinch Sisters and Michael left.

Azalea walked into the bedroom, hoping Eugene wasn't inside. Eugene was a very good looking man, but the spicy cologne he wore reminded her of something repulsive every time she smelled it. Maybe it was something Rapunzel was eating?

"You're here!" Eugene was half asleep. Azalea looked at him with wide eyes.

"Are you all right?" She asked.

"No!" Eugene sat up, his hands on his head. "I went to the town, and grabbed a few bottles of rum. Drank myself drunk." Was he smiling?

"Why would you do that?" Azalea chastised him, going to sit on the bed next to him.

"The dreams," he almost groaned. "The dreams are getting worse."

"What are they about now?" _What dreams?_

"Of you dying. Now they're changing." Eugene shook his head in frustration. "I can't find you anywhere, and I'm worrying about time for whatever reason. You're lost and somewhere hurt –that much I know- but I can't figure out where you are. You're hurt and dying someplace with more than one person that I somehow know-"

"Eugene, shush," Azalea kissed his cheek, trying not to sniff. She didn't want to throw up on Rapunzel's husband.

"-And I have the feeling that whoever those people are," Eugene looked at her, "they're in here." He put his hand on her stomach.

_What?_

Azalea met his frightened eyes. "I don't understand."

Eugene shook his head in frustration again. "Rapunzel, you're-"

_It's not me. It's her! _Posing for Rapunzel was now made so much harder. Azalea hoped that Rapunzel was as well. Azalea and Dwayne hadn't done anything yet. They weren't even engaged though Dwayne had made her a promise when he had come to her that morning she cried Fernando.

"When all of this is over, I'm going to marry you." He says.

"But Rapunzel has to be okay." Azalea exclaims, nearly pulling away from him.

"She will be." Darkness enters Dwayne's tone. "Nothing will happen to her."

Azalea shook her head at Eugene and wiped away the wetness at her face. She really hoped Rapunzel was all right. They were Eugene's children. She snuggled next to Eugene who had gone silent. Maybe he passed out from the rum.

How did her powers work exactly? And how were she and Rapunzel able to do magical things with just a song? The lyrics weren't even the lyrics of a chant or the lyrics of a curse. How were they able to do such things? And what could other people do if they knew the words as well?

Azalea almost wished that she and Rapunzel never heard the song. But then, according to Fernidia, Eugene would have never known about Rapunzel's powers. Rapunzel would have never been kidnapped from her real mother. _Then I would have been able to stay with mine._ Azalea realized.

They had been able to do so much. Rapunzel had grown more flowers by just being alive. Surely the powers had other uses?

Gratitude flowed over Azalea. She and Rapunzel knew something sacred. The song needed to die with them.

_Wait_. Azalea blinked. What about Rapunzel's child? Could that be the only lullaby Rapunzel would sing to them? Azalea groaned quietly. Since she had begun to cover for Rapunzel, suddenly everything was complicated.

She wished that she hadn't listened to Dwayne.

But how could she go back?

True, Rapunzel had been kidnapped. And being rescued by Azalea wouldn't make Rapunzel trust her any more as far as she could throw her.

Azalea scrunched her eyebrows in frustration.

It was a risk she had to take.

And Azalea knew that she deserved all the negative things that would come out of her decision. She had tricked Rapunzel herself.

_But children are innocent._ Azalea pictured Rapunzel's hand caressing her stomach. Did she know?

Or was Azalea the only one experiencing the effects? Maybe, when Azalea resumed her own identity, the pregnancy would be Rapunzel's.

_Whichever way it goes, Rapunzel and Eugene's child lies in Rapunzel's stomach. Not mine._

As soon as Dwayne had told her about getting married, Azalea had pictured little children running around their house. She wished for her own child, but did she deserve it after this?

_We'll see. After I help Rapunzel, I will fight my way through the fire. I brought this on myself._

The thought of her and Dwayne raising kids while Eugene and Rapunzel's joined in lulled Azalea to sleep.


	26. Checking

Chapter Twenty Six

I had no idea what I was doing.

"Jacob?"

"Yes, Rapunzel?" He was making hazel nut soup in the kitchen. I felt my stomach churn and realized a second later that I wanted the soup. It was tasting better lately, which meant he was playing nice. Jacob poked his head in the kitchen.

"I forgot, did you want me to water the flowers first, and then pick the seeds?" My tone was bright and cheerful while on the inside, my head was confused and muddled.

"Pick the seeds, darling."

"Okay." I put down the small bowl that already had seeds in it. I blinked. What?

"Do I need the bowl?"

"Yes, darling." He never lost patience with my sudden forgetfulness.

I grabbed it and walked out into the garden, my free hand fretfully pulling down my short dress. It reached right above my knees and it made me feel exposed. I felt like I had worn longer dresses, and had preferred them that way. But Jacob had gone out to town a few weeks ago and had bought it specially made for me. So how could I not wear it? He provided everything for me.

I got onto my knees to gently tease the seeds out of the stems. Jacob had shown me a way to do it so the stem wouldn't split in half and so the flower wouldn't die. He had taught me the second week I had been with him.

I worked quietly, a smile plastered on my face at the thought of dinner, while my stomach churned again. I wanted the soup, but it felt wrong somehow. I blinked as I moved to the next flower. I was tired with eating hazel nut soup-

_No, it wasn't_, I stood up, irritation seeping through me. I loved eating the soup. It was my favorite.

The taste of the soup filled my mouth while Jacob and I were sitting at the small table eating half an hour later. It made me feel sick and hungry at the same time. I stifled the nausea and swallowed.

"Thank you for dinner." I felt a bit agitated. Why didn't he ever let me cook?

Jacob's dark gray eyes were watchful as he stared at my blanking face. "Have you liked the ingredient I added to it? It gives it a bit of a kick, doesn't it?"

I nodded mechanically. "It makes it taste wonderful."

He smiled and his eyes grew warm. Jacob peered at me. "How's the seeds coming?"

"We're going to have a lot more soon." I smiled at him in response. Something in my head told me I should have frowned. "Where does the ingredient come from?"

"My brother Dwayne gets it from the market in town." Jacob's face went dark as he waited for my reaction.

I felt blank and tried to fix my face into a smile. Dwayne. What a nice name. "You have a brother named Dwayne? Is he nice?"

"He's very nice," Jacob's face relaxed. "She's named Azalea and she knows Eugene."

Eugene. My mind tried to click but the taste of the hazel nut in my head began to mute it. "She's nice to him, right?"

Jacob nodded, his eyes still on my face. "She's very good friends with him."

Was he expecting me to be mad?

"I hope so." I picked up the bowls and washed them quickly in the sink, asking more questions. "Do Dwayne and Eugene know each other?"

"They will soon, there's going to be a ball soon." Jacob was suddenly behind me. His hands rested on my shoulders. "The Queen and her daughter are dancing."

"Can we go?" I felt the click try to happen again.

"Maybe." Jacob rubbed my shoulders. I smiled as I dried my hands off. I followed him into the bedroom and we curled up together.

"Night," he whispered in my ear. He sounded happier for some reason.

"Why are you so happy?"

"Because you're so in love with my soup." He kissed my nose.

"It's that ingredient you put in it." I pointed out.

He nodded and rubbed my arm under the covers. "Get some sleep."

I smiled a tiny smile as I sank into sleep.

I played back the conversation and the click happened _again_.

"Why are you so happy?"

_Azalea's Point of View_

She was tired when she opened her eyes. Her hands and lower back felt strangely sore, like she had picking flowers for a long time. She could taste hazel nut and some herb on her tongue.

Azalea opened her eyes and saw that she was in a different room. "What?" She sat up with a groan.

Eugene and Olivia were standing over her. Olivia started speaking, "Good! You're awake. Everything's fine. I'm just checking the baby, okay?"

_What?_

Azalea rubbed her eyes. "No, don't." It wasn't hers. How could anything be there?

"It's been about a month," Eugene pointed out gently, "we should be able to hear the heartbeat now."

"I don't want you to check." Azalea tried to scoot off the bed but she felt too tired.

"Please?" Eugene begged.

"Yes, please?" An unfamiliar voice was in the room.

They all looked at the threshold. A woman with honey blond hair was staring at her with bright blue eyes.

"Stephanie!" Eugene ran up to her and kissed her hand. "It's amazing to see you."

She looked at Azalea and smiled. "Hi! I'm your mother's sister."

Azalea forced a grin and crawled off the bed to hug her. "Nice to meet you."

Stephanie smiled then looked at Olivia. "How are you doing, Liv?"

"Fantastic, mother." Olivia beamed at Stephanie. "Eugene and I were checking Rapunzel for the baby's heartbeat."

"Good thing I came over then." Stephanie smiled. "Let me listen first."

Azalea got back on the bed, holding her breath as Stephanie leaned down. The honey-haired women smiled.

She looked at her daughter, Eugene, and then Azalea.

"There are two heartbeats, not one."


	27. Clicks

Chapter Twenty Seven

I stand up on my tiptoes, trying to see. We are in the town, watching the queen and king walk through the square with graceful steps. My eyes are locked on their faces and the click finally clicked.

They were my parents-

Jacob woke me up. "Rapunzel?"

"What is it?"

Jacob stared at me with wide eyes and I realized how early it was. "Have you been asleep this whole time?"

I was groggy and mumbled, "I'm tired."

"You need to get up." He kissed my forehead. "You can't sleep all day."

I sighed as I sat up. "But, Jacob, I really am tired, and queasy." I sniffed the air and tasted the hazel nut soup on my tongue. I groaned and fanned the air. "Do we have to have hazel nut soup today?"

"It's your favorite." Jacob seemed to freeze when he took in my green face. "What does it smell like?"

"It smells revolting. I feel sick." I got off the bed and a strange vertigo rushed over me. I began to slide forward but Jacob caught me by the waist.

"Let me help you."

Eugene would have said that.

_Wait, what?_ I blinked as we shuffled to the bathroom. _My dream, and what I had thought just now._

It was a slow click, and I felt like it wouldn't click until late at night. I frowned as I washed out my mouth.

_Maybe Eugene knows what's going on._ I wiped away the water. _I need to find a way to talk to him._

But my mind felt sluggish and spun in fast circles. I forgot the thought as soon as the smell of hazel nut soup hit me again.

_Azalea's Point of View_

"No, please!" Azalea begged, already getting up to leave the table. Michael, Guy, and Olivia were staring at her with wide eyes.

"What is it?" Michael eyed the soup, his dark brown eyes bright. "It's as much as my favorite as it is yours, Rapunzel."

"I can't eat it." Every time Azalea woke up, the taste would be in her mouth. She couldn't stand hazel nut soup. "Please, do I have to?"

Olivia glanced at Fernidia, who was standing at the threshold waiting for Eugene. "Should she?"

"Ask mother," Fernidia said absently. She looked at Azalea with worried eyes. "Try a bite."

"No!" Azalea stood up, looking at the bowl. Did the baby want the soup? Was that why she felt compelled to eat some?

"What's wrong?" Eugene walked into the dining hall.

"She won't eat." Guy looked at Azal. "But she asked for it."

"That's because I was half asleep!" Azalea fought to keep her voice down. She had no one's child inside of her. She was only feeling what Rapunzel was feeling. "I don't want any."

"But you love it," Eugene rubbed her shoulders. He played with her hair, "Why not?"

"I just don't want it." Azalea muttered. _I think Rapunzel needs it, though._ She blinked. How did that work?

"All right," Olivia blinked. "How about some fruit?"

_Does Rapunzel want fruit?_ Azalea found it frustrating. Her song had entwined her and Rapunzel's life more than she had intended. What if they shared thoughts? They were already sharing feelings.

_I hope she knows that I'm sorry._ Azalea thought miserably. The ball was in a few weeks. She'd be able to get Rapunzel before then. Azal was sure.

Olivia helped Azalea sit back down and gave her a plate of pineapple. "Try it."

Azal ate a piece and smiled. "Okay."

"That's fine?" Michael looked at her from staring at Fernidia.

_When will he tie the knot already? _Azal wondered, _it's obvious that they both like each other._

"Very fine, if she's eating it." Guy said drily, looking at Michael and Fernidia's red faces. He knew that they were staring at each other.

Eugene sat down next to Azalea and Guy and they all began eating.

_It's so peaceful,_ Azal despaired, _I hate to think that I ruined things. But I know I did._

She finished the pineapple and started absently eating some blueberries. _I'll make it right before it gets worse._


	28. Searching

Chapter Twenty Eight

I ate the soup as slow as I could, feeling my mind sink into sleep.

"Rapunzel?" I almost didn't feel the hand stroking my cool forehead. "One more bite?"

I mumbled something incoherent and felt my cheek slap the table. I was so tired. Sleepy. Drowsy. I was it.

"Do you want to go outside?" The hands drifted to my bare shoulders. "For some fresh air?"

I couldn't open my eyes. "Carry me." I felt Jacob gently grab me by the shoulders as he turned the chair around. He scooped me up and walked out the front door. I lay limp in his warm arms. I wished Eugene was the one carrying me.

Several more clicks, or random bursts of memories, had happened in a few weeks since the first one in my sleep. Now I remembered everything, but couldn't get away. Something compelled me to eat the soup. It made me tired every night, and I still felt exhausted every time I woke up. I had to pretend to eat the soup, picking at it. I still had to eat some, but I was beginning to fool him because now I was eating less and less every time.

But I _needed_ the soup for some reason. I expected it had something to do with the nausea.

I breathed in the fresh air eagerly. It helped me clear my head. And since my main task was to get the seeds out of the sun flowers, I was able to concentrate more. I started storing some of the seeds, and now since it was nearing winter, I would have to kill the flowers. Jacob couldn't have any more.

I had to get away. And I couldn't do it on my own.

But I couldn't get help.

_Azalea's Point of View_

She searched through the book quietly. There was nothing in the book about herbs.

"Rapunzel!"

She jumped, her hand on her heart. Azalea looked to see Stephanie. She was weaving her way to Azalea through the aisle. She saw Azalea sitting on the floor.

"What are you doing?"

Azalea managed a blush. "I was looking for a certain herb. I'm not sure what it does but I think it causes sleep."

The honey-haired woman shook her head. "I know about herbs, I taught Olivia while she was young and remembered things easier." She helped Azalea off the floor and gently took the book from her. She thumbed through it with nimble fingers. "We need more than that."

Azalea racked her brain for more. What was Rapunzel feeling? Frustration shook her. She really should have figured out her power more before trying it out on Rapunzel. What if something went wrong? "I think it causes forgetfulness." She remembered her brief memory lapses that made her go blank. Thankfully, they had occurred when she was washing up or reading in the library. She was always alone, which was good. But it made her question things. Was Rapunzel feeling that as well?

"We're getting somewhere now," Stephanie patted Azalea's shoulder, "that narrows the herbs down by a lot."

Azalea looked at the page she was on. "Can herbs be put in soups? That might help."

Stephanie smiled and turned the page. "I found it!" She handed Azalea the book. "You read it over. I'll tell Eugene where you are if he starts looking for you."

"Thanks," Azalea felt gratitude. The ball was two weeks away now. She needed to figure out the herb she kept waking up with on her tongue, and how to get Dwayne to help her. He was supposed to check in with her a week or so before the ball, so Azalea could expect him any day now. She still needed to get her information straight so she could tell Dwayne what to do.

Azalea looked down at her stomach. It was beginning to swell now. Azalea had to hope that she really was carrying _nothing_. Maybe whatever condition Rapunzel's body was in affected her body as well.

She felt tempted to rub it. Wasn't that what expecting mothers did?

Azalea blinked away a strange wetness in her eyes and looked down at the page. There were several herbs on it but two of them grabbed her attention.

One was a nut, not an herb, but the other was definitely a herb. Betel nut. She blinked hard as she read the next one. It was difficult to say in her head, so she gave up on the name. The effects were staggering.

Azalea studied the terms, trying not to believe that Jacob was feeding Rapunzel this. Did he know that the herb alone was dangerous? Why would he give it to her, and she's with-child. . .

_He might not know._

Azalea jumped off the floor, clutching the book tightly. _I've got to get her out, more than ever now._

She needed to find Dwayne as fast as possible.


	29. Hurt

Chapter Twenty Nine _Azalea's Point of View_

She held Olivia's hand as Fernidia and Stephanie pulled the dress over her head. They had settled for the blue dress with the back out. She had managed to hide the white dress with the pink blossoms, hoping that Eugene wouldn't find it. Azalea had hidden it for Rapunzel for the night of the ball, in case they had to leave from Jacob's house right away.

"Where did this come from?" Stephanie's soft voice grabbed her attention. Azalea looked at where her hand was. It was on her waist, dangerously close to the swell in her stomach. She looked at it in the mirror.

Azalea felt her breath catch. A bruise.

"I-I don't know," Azalea gently touched it. The purple bruise throbbed at her gentle tap. It was fresh. It hadn't been there this morning.

"Did you fall?" Olivia looked at it worriedly.

Azalea blinked and realized she had to lie. "I fell in the bathroom. I almost dropped the water bowl this morning."

Fernidia nodded, but her blue eyes were troubled like Olivia's. "You're sure you didn't fall on something sharp? It looks like you were punched or something."

Olivia looked sharply at her older sister but Azal could tell that she was far from disagreeing. "Fernidia!"

"What?" She blushed. "I'm telling it how it looks, Liv."

"Calm down, you two." Stephanie gently prodded the bruise. Azal tried not to wince. "I bet some cool water would make it tone down a bit, it's swollen."

"Will it be there when the ball starts?" Azal hoped that Rapunzel would ask this.

"It'll be long gone by then," Fernidia waved Olivia away, who was making faces at her. "Just make sure Eugene doesn't see."

"All right," Azal pulled the bodice down a little. She stared at her swelling figure and saw her bust had grown. "I hope I can still wear this by the Ball."

"I'm sure you'll be able to." Stephanie rubbed Azal's stomach absently. She managed a shy smile and asked, "Have you thought of names yet?"

Azalea shook her head. Rapunzel would do that. "No idea. I don't even know what gender she'll be."

Stephanie gazed at her with warm eyes. "You're having more than one, Rapunzel."

Silence gripped the room and Azalea began to feel her mind shut down in shock.

"_What_?" Olivia screamed. She started bouncing up and down. "I bet they'll both be girls!"

"Or boys!" Fernidia was just as excited. Azalea's head began to spin.

Azal tried to keep standing. Black dots crowded her vision. "What?" Her voice sounded far away.

"I'm so happy for you! Just think," Stephanie's voice started to fade out. "You and Eugene will feel younger than you do now, and you're both in your twenties-"

The floor rushed up to Azalea quickly, and she didn't feel it.

_Rapunzel's Point of View_

I struggled to push him away. "Jacob, I really don't want any!"

"Rapunzel!" His arms were tight on my waist as I tried to pull away. "Have some of the soup! Just a little bit." His voice was thin with panic.

I reached a compromise. "Let me tend to the garden first!"

He let me go. I stared at him with wide eyes and clutched my side. Jacob smiled at me like nothing happened. "Be back in soon, all right?"

I nodded and played along. I put on a dazzling smile and kissed his nose. I ran out to the garden; the bowl was already sitting by the churned earth. I had set it out this morning.

I ignored the seeds and concentrated on the bright petals. Soon, I'd have to cut them all down.

As I stared at them, the petals began to glow. My eyes closed but I could still see the petals.

This time, nothing hurt. I was able to think. I pictured myself in town square, searching for something in my mind, but nothing happened.

I gave up, and tended to the garden. Now I'd have to eat the soup that erased my memory bit by bit . . .


	30. Melting Gold

Chapter Thirty _Azalea's Point of View_

"I'm tired," Azalea fought to stay standing. "Let me go in the gardens."

Guy looked at her. "You want to fall asleep outside?"

"I want peace and quiet." Azalea looked around the busy halls of the Palace. "It's never been this busy, it makes me dizzy."

Olivia was holding Guy's hand. "I'll take her out, okay?" Olivia bent close to Guy's ear. Azalea heard her murmur, "She won't faint like in the dressing room. She was very tired, and it was my fault. I was the one who wanted her to try on the dresses again."

Guy shook his head in a tiny movement but frowned as Olivia let go of his hand. Azalea smiled. Guy and Olivia were going to be married soon after the ball. Maybe in the spring.

"I'll sit the whole time. I won't fall asleep." Azalea promised. She hoped she could _keep_ the promise. Whatever Rapunzel was doing, it was exhausting.

Olivia walked her to the gardens and looked her up and down. "You're sure, Rapunzel? You almost look pale."

"I'll be fine," Azalea muttered, "thanks, Liv."

Olivia's face softened. "I'll come back in half an hour, all right?" Azalea waved her away and turned to the door. She opened it, closing it behind her, and sank onto her knees. Being Rapunzel was exhausting.

"Azalea, you all right?" A familiar voice made her look up. Dwayne was standing in front of her, staring down at her face. "If you need to, we can get her now."

Azalea shook her head. "We need to get her on the night of the ball." Azalea thought to her bruises. Should she show Dwayne? What would it change? "He must be hurting her." She lifted up her skirt enough to show Dwayne the bruise. It was a bit lighter now, but it still worried her.

"Damn him." Dwayne shook his head in anger. "The night of the Ball it is then. He _told_ me he wouldn't hurt her."

His voice shook with anger. "He swore to it."

Azalea didn't want to think about how frustrated Dwayne was. She walked over to hug him, breathing in his scent. He smelled sweet like damp flowers and the fresh morning breeze.

"It won't be long." Dwayne murmured in her ear, the anger suddenly gone. He stroked her long blond hair with one hand. "We'll be together soon, and Rapunzel will be perfectly fine."

Azalea tried to smile but felt tears welling in her eyes.

_Rapunzel's Point of View_

I barely opened my eyes as I sipped the soup. I couldn't pretend not to eat it anymore. I finished it quickly, almost tempted to rub my swollen stomach. I was eating too much soup, and now I was gaining weight. I wouldn't be able to move as fast as I wanted to, especially if I needed to run.

"See?" Jacob rubbed my numb shoulders. "All better?"

I wanted to tell him to go away, but I felt too tired. My head hit the table with a smack. I didn't feel the pain, and I slept.

I slept _so_ peacefully. I felt mildly worried in my sleep. Was I supposed to sleep so long?

Dwayne's Point of View

He shoved Jacob to the wall. "You said you wouldn't hurt her!"

Jacob stared around the empty town and smirked. "I didn't; we started wrestling."

"Wrestling as in _trying_?" Dwayne could hardly stomach the sight of his brother's face now. "She's married, Jacob! Married!"

"Not anymore," Jacob pushed Dwayne away. He held out a small object in his hand. It was a tiny gold circle with several diamonds on the edges.

Dwayne stopped short. "What is that?"

"Her wedding ring," Jacob met Dwayne's gray eyes with his own. "You wouldn't believe how deeply she sleeps now. I took it off while she was sleeping. She's so out of it, she won't expect a thing."

"What are you going to do with it?"

"I'll give it to the blacksmith in town." Jacob's fingers ran over the ring. "He'll pay good money."

"No," Dwayne stuttered, "I'll do it."

Jacob narrowed his eyes, but gave it to him. Dwayne resisted the urge to punch his twin brother, and let his fingers squeeze the ring.

"What is it?" Dwayne asked. "What's in the soup?"

"Something Azalea told me." Jacob grinned. "I just never imagined it'd work so perfectly!" Jacob stopped. "I'm a bit worried though. Now she sleeps so much."

"You might be using too much."

"Nonsense," Jacob said, "Azalea's mother used it on her all the time when she'd be leaving for those long three day trips."

Dwayne slammed him back against the wall, the ring was already in his pocket. "_What_?"

"Azalea's mother gave it to her to keep her quiet." Jacob stammered. For the first time, Dwayne saw him look nervous. "It would knock her out."

Dwayne's fingers almost became claws because he was holding Jacob by the shoulders so tightly. "But _what_ is it?"

Jacob somehow squirmed from Dwayne's grip and pushed him away. "As if I would tell you!" His bravado was back. "Now go and get the blacksmith to melt that ring!"

Dwayne glared at his twin but nodded. He watched Jacob leave, and then turned to the house he and Azalea shared.

He'd keep the ring on his nightstand.


	31. Nightmare

Chapter Thirty One

I was painting something. The colors flowed effortlessly from my brush, and light up the wall with bright fireworks. I smiled as I nibble on a cookie with my other hand. I looked at it and it wasn't a cookie.

It became a frosted cupcake.

I turned around back to the wall to find that I am facing Eugene. He was holding out his hand to me, smiled his 'smolder', and asked, "May I have this dance?"

I take his hand, and then we are outside the kingdom getting onto the carriage to the tower for our honeymoon. I stepped out, and then I am walking in the stream, following the water.

I walked off the edge, and felt my body fall off the bed with a sharp jolt. It woke me up immediately. I cried out and blinked my eyes open.

"Rapunzel?" Jacob was standing in the doorway, holding a bowl of hazel nut soup and a spoon.

"I'm awake," I gasped, still feeling myself fall off the waterfall.

"I was going to give you some lunch; you've been asleep for a while." His gray eyes were unreadable when he took in my sweating face. He blinked. "Do you feel sick again?"

I did feel sick, but not with falling. Hazel nut soup. "I'm fine," I shook my head.

He helped me off the floor and handed me the soup. I ate it without complaining, feeling a strange feeling rush through my body.

"The Ball is in a few weeks now." Jacob said, rubbing my numb shoulders. I was tired already.

"Are we still going?" I mumbled.

"Yes, indeed. In fact, we're going to go to the kingdom a day early so we can find a place to spend the night." He played with my hair.

I felt too numb with sleep to push him away. "Can I nap?"

"You just woke up!"

"I'm still tired." I protested. I remembered cutting down the sun flowers with a jolt, but the thought slid away as exhaustion took place.

"All right, I'll wake you up again, though." Jacob pulled the covers over me. I slipped into sleep as he said something else.

I was dreaming of frosted cupcakes and the color of pale lavender.

_Azalea's Point of View_

She was struggling to stay awake. "I need pineapple," she murmured, hoping that it would keep her awake. Azalea needed to sleep, but she _needed_ to walk. Being Rapunzel was becoming harder.

Michael prodded her. "Rapunzel?"

They were sitting in the room Rapunzel had been hypnotized in. The King and Queen had rejoiced at the happy news, and now wanted to see Eugene and Rapunzel debate names. Pity Rapunzel wasn't here.

She mumbled something incoherent and struggled to keep her head up. Olivia and Guy were watching from the other side of the table and Azal felt Fernidia wipe at her cheek with a damp cloth. "Why are you sweating?"

"It's hot, but I want to sleep-" Azalea broke off with a yawn; eventually her head found her curled arms on the table and she was pulled into sleep.

Azalea was standing in the middle of the meadow in the gardens. She brushed away her normal length blond hair and smiled for a moment. She looked around with wide eyes as she realized that she could hear yelling.

The sky turned red and Azalea watched as the forest around her darkens into shadows. "Azalea! Azalea!" The wind shrieks at her. Azalea clutched for her heart as fear floods over her.

The woods rustle and then there were men standing outside the woods in front of her. They shouted her name as well. Small globes of light are in their hands and she realized that they were carrying torches. Azalea screamed and started to run the other way, only to bump into something hard.

Dwayne grabbed her arm and snarled at her, "Liar! Look at what you've done!"

Azalea turned back around to see thousands bodies on the ground. The screams are still roaring around her, but time slowed. The bodies on the ground closest are her and Rapunzel's friends: Olivia, Guy, Eugene, the King, the Queen-

Azalea screamed louder, this time in horror. She bent down to Rapunzel's body and sobbed. Dwayne yanked her back up and she felt a blade at her throat.

She froze and looked around with her eyes. Jacob was holding the silver weapon. He smiled at her and the silver blade of the knife flashed. Dwayne's grip loosened and then he was falling onto the bodies. Azalea shrieked and tried to pull him up, screaming, "Dwayne! Dwayne!"

Jacob's icy tone made her freeze. "See? Isn't it beautiful?"

Azalea whirled to him with fiery greenish gray eyes. "You monster!"

"I'm not the one who agreed to be Rapunzel," Jacob's eyes –black in the red light from the sky- glinted. He held onto her waist with a hot grip and the knife flashed across her throat.

She screamed in agony as the pain shoots through her body. She could feel liquid bubble in her mouth. His eyes smiled at her with cruelty. Azalea felt herself begin to fall forward, but Jacob held her up. As her vision darkens into a tunnel, Azalea saw the rage in Jacob's eyes. She had helped him do this.

"Rapunzel!" A voice made her eyes opened the same moment they closed in her nightmare.

She was struggling not to scream. Her face felt cold. "I-I. . ."

"Are you all right?" Whose voice was that?

Azal hurled herself to her feet, her senses flooded with fear. She whirled around, still unable to figure out where she was.

She thought about running, but forced herself to the wall, gasping. "Stay back!"

"Rapunzel?" They were all staring at her. She could still feel the knife blade pressing against her throat.

"I-I. . . I'm okay." She sputtered. "Don't come near me."

"Why?" Olivia was already advancing toward her. Azalea began to inch toward the door.

"I don't feel good." It was true. She felt sick and disoriented. Could she make it to the washroom?

She had to risk it. Azalea took off, bumping into things and knocking over furniture that she couldn't see.

She could still feel the sharpness of the blade, feel it slit her skin. Azalea doubled over, groaning.

"Princess!" One of the guards that stood by the door was dashing toward her. He had black hair and dark eyes from what she could tell. Azal was struggling not to gag.

"Are you all right?" The other three guards were making their way to her. Azal began to crawl away.

"I'm okay," she murmured loudly, "morning sickness."

The guard that had seen her waved the other two guards away. "Let me help you to the washroom."

He pulled her up by her shoulders let her lean on him. He walked briskly to one of the spare washrooms of the palace and waited for her outside.

She was sick then more than she had been in the first few days. During those days, everyone had to _carry_ a bowl for her when she saw them.

Azalea rinsed out her mouth.

"Thank you," she greeted him when she opened the door.

He held it for her. "No problem."

"What's your name?" The other guards were peering at them. The guard waved them off and they stared out into space.

"Nathan Keen." The guard had green eyes. "Have you met my sister Annabeth? She's pregnant as well. You might meet her at the ball."

"Where's the father?" Was it okay for her to ask? "I'm sorry to intrude-"

"He ran off," Nathan cracked a smile however, "filthy bastard."

"How far along is she?" It felt natural for her to walk alongside him. He had helped her to the washroom.

"About as long as you, three months."

"And a half." She cracked a grin of her own.

"Rapunzel!" Eugene came dashing from around the corner. He hugged her tightly. "Are you okay?"

Nathan's eyes darkened when they took in Eugene. "She had a bit of morning sickness. I helped her to the washroom."

"Thank you," Eugene smiled at him.

Nathan guided them back to the room –Azalea was impressed at how much space she had covered- and resumed his post. He winked shyly at Azal who stifled a giggle.

She followed Eugene back into the room and was showered by anxious questions. While she answered them absently, she thought about Nathan with questions of her own.

"We'll come up with names tomorrow," the King said.

Was meeting Nathan a coincidence? Did he know Rapunzel somehow? Azalea felt frustrated. The gleam in his dark green eyes. . .

She trailed after Fernidia who was holding Michael's hand.

She saw them and smiled.


	32. A Day in Town

Chapter Thirty Two _Azalea's Point of View_

She played with her hand absently as she thought of names. "What do you think, Rapunzel?"

Azalea looked up. Olivia had asked her about expanding the dressings she wore. She frowned and said, "But I like this one how it is."

"Soon you won't be able to fit them." Stephanie tapped her shoulder and chuckled, "You'll want new dresses soon."

Azalea looked at the Queen. "Can I choose the colors?"

_Pineapple_, the cravings called_._

Azalea swallowed and nodded when the Queen said 'yes'. Azalea frowned again as she stared at the long table that was decorated by several washbowls. According to Stephanie, morning sickness ended before the third month, but it wasn't uncommon for expecting mothers to have it until late after the fourth month.

It still irritated her that everyone carried washbowls. Even the guards now had washbowls with them.

Azalea huffed a quiet sigh and stood up. "I have to go to the washroom," she met Guy's eyes. He smirked and waved.

Once outside in the halls, she wandered around. She really did have to go, but wanted some air. "It's too quiet in there."

"It's quiet out here too." Nathan's voice was in her ear. She jumped. "Hey, Princess."

"Hi, Nathan." She looked at him, sad all over again that she was pretending to be Rapunzel. "How's it going?"

"You mean how's guarding the most important woman in the Kingdom?" Nathan sniffed. "Very well, especially if you get to see her eyes." He bent down to peer at her face.

Azalea was suddenly aware of how close his face was to hers and took a step back. They were walking around in wide circles; she had passed the same door twice. "Where's the washroom?"

Nathan frowned. "Someone needs to give you a tour, I see. What was the first thing you did when you got here?"

"Married Eugene," Azalea said. She suddenly wished that she hadn't met Dwayne.

"Well, you guys _are_ in love." Nathan seemed to frown and racked his hand through his black hair. His green eyes were piercing as they blinked down at her.

"Very much," Azalea said regretfully. She hoped he didn't see her wipe away wetness in her eyes. She wished for many things all of a sudden.

He showed her the washroom and waited outside for her again. She asked him a question as he held open the door. "How does Eugene know Stephanie?"

"No one told you?" Nathan shook his head. "For a princess, you're not really informed."

She winced. "I guess someone told me but I forgot. I know she's Olivia and Fernidia's mother."

Nathan guided her to town. "You're not expected back some place, are you?" He peered at her from the side of his eyes.

Azalea thought for a moment. "They'll think I got lost."

"Name choosing again?"

She nodded.

"Any ideas?"

Azalea tried harder to hide her wince. "Not many." She sat down with him on one of the benches. The few people in town were blinking at her, and when she met their eyes, they smiled and waved politely before going about their business.

"Tell me some."

She glanced at him. "Ava."

"Ava what?"

Azalea nudged him, blushing. "I think it might be a nickname."

"Oh, really?" He tilted her chin up to meet his green eyes. His eyes were playful, but she couldn't tear her gaze away. In the silence that followed, she stared at the soft skin on his face and the set of his jawline.

A bird cooed loudly above them and they both pulled away. "Sorry!" She gasped, but she could still feel the sparks charging through her chin from his gentle touch.

"Sorry, as well." Nathan looked away. "That was out of line."

_I think it was very in line._ Azalea thought with a strange pang.

"Stephanie was pregnant with Fernidia when Eugene was six." Nathan explained, his words tripping over themselves. "Olivia's the youngest by two years."

"I heard that she met Guy when he was hurt, right?" Azalea risked looking at Nathan again. "He tore a muscle, and was out of training for weeks. He met her while she was sixteen and learning about herbs."

Nathan nodded. "He did, you got the story right. Guy's father was leader of the knights before Guy. He was fifty-six before he died, and left the position for Guy even though others thought Guy was inexperienced."

"Did he prove them wrong?"

"He trained Eugene, didn't he?" Nathan joked.

Azalea chuckled and stared down at her hands. "Michael and Fernidia seem to be getting close."

"They'll be married before you know it." Nathan looked at her again, warmth in his eyes. "And then you and me will be like, 'I remember when they hardly spoke'."

"But I do!" Azalea thought back to her first few days. "Do you know how to do it?"

"Do what?"

"What Michael does; the hypnotism?" Azalea looked at him and remembered Dwayne suddenly. He had tried to teach her, but she had failed. Did he learn it from Michael somehow?

"A little bit," Nathan said, "Michael taught me and the Fernando Brothers." He blinked. "I don't know why he taught the twins."

"He didn't know they were going to be bad."

"But Jacob hurt you!" Nathan's hands clenched into fists. "Are you defending them?"

Azalea felt shock flood over her at seeing Nathan's anger. "No, of course not! I'm just saying that they all might have been friends before."

Nathan calmed down at her words. After a small silence, he asked. "Can I try it on you?"

"Sure." Azalea went still as she looked at his face. His eyes were blank in hard concentration and he touched her forehead.

"When I move my hand, you are going to tell me a secret."

He moved his fingers from her forehead.

Azalea jumped up and giggled. "It didn't work."

"No way!" Nathan said, shocked. "Michael taught me that himself." Azalea decided not to tell him how hard it was for her to move from him.

"You were almost there." She said to him.

"Sure, I was." Nathan looked at the sun. "I think we should be getting back now."

"Okay," Azalea followed him into the palace. Once inside, she asked him about the plan the King was coming up with.

"So the King wants a permanent guard for you?" Nathan wondered. "You want me to be him?"

Azalea nodded, blushing. She looked down.

"What's wrong, Princess?" Nathan tipped her head up by her chin again. "I'd be honored to."

"When I move my hand, you are going to tell me a secret."

She wanted to tell him who she was. "I just think you'd be perfect."

Nathan walked her back to the room and held the door open for her. She heard him whisper in her ear –she shivered from the coolness of his breath.

"I'll try harder next time."

She sat down at the table and looked at Fernidia and Michael. _They must be holding hands under the table_. She concluded. At the moment, she thought nothing of it.

"Any name ideas?" Eugene greeted her with a peck on the cheek.

She looked at everyone around the room before saying it.

"Nathan."


	33. A Change of Plan

Chapter Thirty Three _Azalea's Point of View_

Azalea was watching the town gather inside the palace's ball room. She was wearing a different dress entirely: a deep green with velvet soft sleeves and skirt. Her feet were tucked away in soft flats that were almost sandal-like, but they cover her toes. She was holding Eugene's hand, and though she felt like she should snatch her hand away, she doesn't let go.

Nathan was peering at her from his heavy silver armor. It shone in the soft moonlight. "Having fun?"

She eyed Eugene. "Sure." She put on a half-hearted smile.

Nathan walked over to her, glancing at the crowd that was still filling into the large room. Bodies pressed around her, feeling like walls, and then Azalea lost sight of Nathan.

"Nathan?" She called. Where did he go?

She felt a hand scoop around her waist and something cold press against her neck. She gasped and went still. The voices and laughter that filled the room go quiet and she felt many eyes on her.

"When I move my hand, you're going to tell me a secret."

_Nathan?_

"I can't tell you," suddenly Azalea felt calm. She still tried not to move.

"Rapunzel, look at me." The blade was suddenly gone and she was turned to Nathan. His eyes glittered and for the first time, they were very unreadable.

"What is it?" Azalea felt like she can tell him anything. She _wanted _to tell him everything.

"Promise me that you'll read _The Story of the Moon_." Nathan's eyes melt and smolder at the same time. She felt her fear slide away into confusion.

"I don't understand." She sputtered, backing away.

Nathan's eyes go wild. "Look at what you've done." Heavy thuds sounded all around her and his voice echoes. She turned to see bodies falling onto the floor. The whole crowd seemed to faint all at once.

"Nathan, I-" Azalea looked around him. Eugene was staring at her, the only one other than her and Nathan standing. He looked angry, and his black tux changed to a bloody red.

Azalea backed away from both of them, and screamed as arms closed around her shoulders. Guy was pinning her from behind.

Michael walked from the middle of the room that is suddenly alit with moonlight. Everything was so bright that she had to blink to see. He was holding someone's hand. She couldn't see the figure standing next to them.

Dwayne appeared from behind Michael's and then she realized that they were all holding silver.

She screamed as Nathan turned to her. He held the knife and she felt her skin split at her throat as she closes her eyes.

She woke up, gagging. The taste of her blood was her mouth and she rolled over. "Rapunzel?"

Azalea rolled off the bed onto her back. She coughed and tried to stand up, wanting to scream and vomit at the same time.

Hands helped her off the floor and she staggered to the washroom. She was sick, and then sweating.

"You okay?"

She nodded wordlessly, and wiped stray strands of blond tendrils from her forehead. Eugene was standing in the doorway, looking worried and at ease at the same time. He wet a washcloth and wiped sweat off her forehead. He stroked her cheek soothingly and guided her back to bed.

It was only then that she realized that the back of her neck hurt.

_Rapunzel's Point of View_

I woke up, feeling energized for the first time in a few days. Maybe he had eased up on the ingredient he put in the soup.

The hope that fluttered in my chest dimmed as I felt fire on the back of my neck. I washed up quickly, and had a second to push the hair away from my neck and stroke the skin.

Blood was on my fingers. I felt an indention on the skin and felt for an imprint.

Something was there that wasn't there yesterday.

Rage flooded me so strong that I yanked open the door, screaming. "Jacob! What have you done?"

He ran to me from the kitchen and looked at me. His eyes were unreadable. "What is it, Rapunzel-"

My fist went flying across his face while I screamed murder.

Dwayne's Point of View

He looked at the bruises on his twin's face. They were sitting outside the lawn. Dwayne stared at the bright yellow flowers, and had an idea.

"How'd you get the bruises?" Dwayne eyed his twin.

Jacob rubbed them soothingly. "She didn't like my present."

"What present?" What had Jacob done?

"I left her a way to remember me." Jacob smiled. "I did it to her in her sleep. She didn't feel a thing."

"But she found out?" Dwayne guessed.

Jacob nodded, and Dwayne didn't feel sorry for him. Lucky girl, Rapunzel was. Dwayne wanted to hit his twin brother as well.

"Did you melt the ring?"

Dwayne bobbed his head. "When are you guys going to the ball?"

"A night before, at least." Jacob's eyes clouded in thought. "I want to give her a good dose of the soup before we leave. She won't struggle at all, she loves it."

"A night before? Why?"

Jacob paused. "You know what? I'll go out the night before, rent a place to come back to after the ball, and we'll leave the morning after. I'll have to let you watch her though?"

"Why me?" Little did he know how he was helping Dwayne's plans.

"I trust you." _You shouldn't_.

"I accept," Dwayne met his twin's eyes. "On one condition."

"What is it?"

"I get to bring Azalea with me."

Jacob scowled. "She's posing as Rapunzel. There's no way it would work."

"I'll _make_ it work." Dwayne stopped. "How about you go the night _of_ the Ball, and I'll bring Azalea here who will say that she needs some fresh air?"

Jacob nodded. "Well, you'll make it work." He grinned at Dwayne, and for a moment, Dwayne felt that Jacob was a person he knew as much as he knew himself. "I'm leaving it to you."

Dwayne smiled to himself. "How are you going to give her the soup?"

"I think I'm just going to put it in the tea this time."

Dwayne made a mental note. As soon as he got to Jacob's house the day of the ball, he'd smash all the tea cups.


	34. Neck Injury

Chapter Thirty Four _Azalea's Point of View_

"What's on your neck?"

Azalea nibbled on some pineapple. "What?" She was half paying attention. Pineapple was so good-

"Your neck seems bruised." Stephanie was peering at her from across the table. "Is something on it?"

Nathan was standing at the door with a blank expression. "I can look."

Azalea blushed when she thought of how soft his hands would feel. "I've got it."

She stood up, a piece of pineapple still in her hands, and walked to the washroom. Once she opened the door, she wiped her hands on her light pink dress and pushed her hair back. She didn't have a mirror, so she had to feel for anything there.

Azalea felt a round shape indented in the back of her skin. She looked at her hand and wiped away the dried blood. She finished her pineapple absently while she thought of Jacob. What was he _doing_? She scowled.

Azalea washed her hands again, and opened the door when her heart skipped a beat. She slammed the door back and locked it, already on the floor. Her heart felt like it was burning.

She shut her eyes and murmured happy thoughts to herself but nothing happened. She could hear her and Rapunzel's song in the back of her head. She realized that she was screaming in agony when hands started banging at the door.

"Go away!" She tried to lower her shrieks, "I'm okay."

"No, you're not!" Guy yelled. "Open up!"

She couldn't reply as pain seared her veins. Azalea started feeling numb. "I'm fine," her voice was small. She could see darkness. "Go somewhere else, I'm-"

Her senses faded away as she spoke.

Azalea sensed light around her and blinked open her eyes. She was standing in front of a tall tower. The bricks were old and faded, but Azalea stared at it. Was it as old as the palace?

"What are you doing here?"

Azalea turned to see her mother standing by a stream. The bright sun shone bright on the water, making it shimmer. The glowing water reflected off on her mother's face.

"Mother?" Azalea stiffened. Was it really her? "Am I dreaming?"

Mother looked at her. "Either that, or dead."

"Dead?" Azalea looked around with new eyes. "I'm not dead, I'm just fainted in the washroom."

Mother smiled. "Why the washroom?"

"Jacob's done something to Rapunzel, I just needed to see what he did." Would her Mother know about what was happening? "I'm filling in for her, because I wanted to get back at her for having you all to herself."

Mother looked disconcerted. "Azalea, dear, I don't want you to do this. It isn't right."

"Why?" Azalea closed the distance between them. "I'm doing it for you, Mother-"

"Which is why I want you to stop this." Mother stroked her cheek. "Darling, when I died, I didn't want you to try to avenge me in any way."

"But you never spent time with me!" Azalea pulled back sharply.

Mother's dark brown eyes dimmed. "And that is my fault entirely."

Azalea looked away as her mother continued. "But I want you to get her back here. You both belong in the kingdom."

"How so?" Azalea looked back, and was dismayed to see her Mother fading. Tears streamed down her face as she realized that the short amount of time she had with her Mother was ending.

Mother knew it too. "You'll find out, but dear, this isn't the end." Mother tried to smile as she began to fade quickly around the edges. "I'll see you again."

"Don't go!" Azalea reached out for her Mother with her hands. "Stay with me!"

"I can't." Mother murmured. "Just know that I'm looking down on you with shining eyes-"

Hands shook her roughly as she watched her Mother disappear. The bright sun shining on the stream was the last thing she saw.

Azalea opened her eyes.

"Rapunzel?" The voice sounded stuffy and she realized someone was crying. "Can you hear us?" _Olivia?_

"I'm okay," she struggled to sit up. "What happened?"

"You fainted and your heart damn near stopped!" Michael was standing in the door, holding Nathan back who had yelled the words. "_You_ tell us what happened!"

"Calm down!" Guy snapped at Nathan. "She's all right." He looked at her. "You're all right?"

She nodded shakily, and with Olivia's help, she stood up. She felt dizzy as she staggered out of the washroom and into the hallway. Bodies crowded around her and she felt claustrophobic as she was guided to the Dining Hall. Stephanie was there waiting with anxious eyes and rebuked her as she sat down.

Fernidia handed her a large cup of water while Olivia gave her a plate of fruit. She watched her friends with blurry eyes and eventually, her head hit the table.

_Rapunzel's Point of View_

I looked at Jacob. "Can you even see it?"

He had me shackled to the wall, and strangely, I thought nothing of it and felt giddy. I hiccupped in his face and burst out laughing.

"It's a moon, Rapunzel." Jacob stared at me with mildly amused gray eyes. "Can I finish? It's supposed to be a flower as well, like the ones outside."

_Not anymore!_ I laughed harder. Cutting the flowers had been more painful than I thought. Jacob had seen me passed out on the ground, fed me some hazel nut soup, and according to him, I was as good as new. I hid the flower seeds before the pain crippled me. Now they were outside, tucked under a rock.

"Go ahead!" I grinned widely. "I won't move, nor will I hit you again. Even though you asked for it since you didn't ask me whether I wanted a moon on the back of my neck." I babbled on joyously.

He unshackled me and took me in his arms. He cooed to me, "I'm so glad you're eating the soup again."

I giggled and squirmed as he tickled me. He released me after I started turning blue with laughter and told me to go to the kitchen.

I laid down on the floor while he started a fire. He peered at me from where he was. "Promise me that even if you scream, you'll be proud of it?"

"I'll be proud of whatever you give me." I bubbled. "Can I have some more soup?"

He chuckled –his gray eyes looked sad. Why was he sad?- and handed me a warm bowl. "Here, eat it until we're ready." He ruffled my long blond hair.

When I finished it, the fire was hot. He made me lie on my side since my stomach was too big, as he warmed something long and sharp looking in the fire. I stared at him. "What is that?"

"It'll help me draw, darling." Jacob moved to me, and his eyes glittered. Something in me screamed in terror but I just smiled dreamily at him. He had started making me tea –he had given me a cup this morning, and one every hour after that- and it was just as good as the soup.

Who taught him to _cook_? They would have been proud.

"All right," he murmured as he held my side steady with his other hand. "Be very, very, still."

I stiffened and exhaled nervously. "Don't tell me when it touches me."

He didn't.

I still screamed.


	35. Feeling Nothing

Chapter Thirty Five _Azalea's Point of View_

She was very light while Nathan walked her into town. He ordered a small cup of pineapple for her. Azalea smiled at him as he sat down next to her on their bench.

"The ball's in two days." He patted her knee. "Can I get a preview of the dress?"

Azalea looked at him slyly from the corner of her eye. "Why, do you want one?"

Nathan looked down at his hands. He was wearing something more casual. All the guards relaxed –the whole _town_ relaxed- their duties when the ball was close. He was wearing a deep blue vest, lighter blue cotton sleeves, dark brown pants and black boats. His dark hair was combed and stroked his cheeks.

"I don't know if I could, but-"

"Azalea!" Azalea looked around, puzzled. She looked back at Nathan whose eyes were wide. The voice sounded again. "Azalea!"

Azalea looked at Nathan. "I'll go see who it is," she muttered.

"No, wait," Nathan stood up. "Let me look. You stay here." His eyes flitted down to her stomach. Azalea rubbed it, uncomfortable.

She jumped up and ran off to where she heard the voice. "Rapunzel!" Nathan started behind her. She ducked under a clothesline and hurried to the edge of town. Azalea passed her and Dwayne's house without flinching. She felt nothing.

Something barreled her down. She hit the ground and hoped she landed on her back. "Come with me, _now_!"

Dwayne yanked her to her feet. She grunted as she staggered back to her feet. She stared at him as he towed her past the bridge.

When they were several feet in the cover of the woods at the end of the bridge before the path sloped to the right, he stopped her.

Dwayne's gray eyes took in her form. "You've gotten so. . .Big."

She flinched. "I know that." She eyed him, almost irritated. "What do you want?"

Dwayne started pacing. "Change of plans," he growled. "I need to come and get you the day of the ball, in the morning." He looked at her with piercing eyes. "We're going to get Rapunzel out of Jacob's reach. It's gotten worse."

"How so?" Azalea eyed him, feeling hostile now. She had been with Nathan.

"You probably know what he's done to her." He pointed to his neck. "Turn around."

She did as she was told wordlessly. Dwayne pushed her long hair away and gasped. "Damn!"

"What?"

"He said it was a moon but now it looks more like a flower." He gently probed the skin. "It's swollen and red. I think it's infected."

Azalea pulled away, touching it herself. It felt bubbly and touching it made it throb. "What else is going on? He's been feeding her more soup."

"How can you tell?" Dwayne held her by her shoulders with both hands. His gray eyes met hers.

"It's getting harder to wake up-" She suddenly burst out laughing. Azalea doubled over and giggled ferociously. Dwayne stared at her in alarm and the look on his face made her laugh harder. She wiped away tears as she struggled to breathe.

"Azalea?" Dwayne's voice was concerned. "Are you all right?"

Azalea sobbed in laughter. "No, I'm not." She blinked as her vision swam with tears. "It's a side effect."

"What do you mean?" He made her lay down on the grass and pulled her head in his hands.

"He gave her too much at once." Azalea explained, her body hurting in strange ways. "Mother did that to me a few times. When I woke up, I couldn't stop laughing. And then I fell asleep-"

"Damn!" She struggled to her feet. "Dwayne, we have to get her!"

"I know; we're going the day of the ball."

She grabbed his collar with burning hands. "Promise me we won't be any later than that?"

"Of course!" Dwayne said. "But why?"

"It's just becoming too dangerous." Azalea told him. "Go on, I'll go back to the Palace before Nathan starts looking for me."

"All right," Dwayne kissed her on his cheek. Her heart clenched painfully and she made herself kiss him back. He took off for the house, and after a few long minutes she made herself get up to go as well.

She walked toward the edge of the woods, ready to get back on the bridge when a familiar voice stopped her.

Nathan was standing behind her. His green eyes were wide and blank with shock.

"I heard everything."


	36. No Longer Kept a Secret

Chapter Thirty Six _Azalea's Point of View_

Nathan stalked to her. She was dismayed to see that his eyes were angry. "How could you pretend to be someone else?"

She met his green eyes shakily. "I didn't want to. I'm not going to anymore."

"I thought you were Rapunzel!" Nathan shook his head. "How could you do this to me?"

"I'm not going to be her anymore!" Azalea snapped. "I'm getting her back!"

Nathan's eyes were cold and he steered her back to their bench. "Okay," he said, his breath accelerating with anger. "You need to tell me _everything_."

Azalea felt like crying as she told him the story. She had dreamed of telling him so many different ways. It felt wrong for him to find out this way.

When she was finally finished, she was wiping away tears and eating pineapple. Nathan looked at her with sad eyes. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Azalea was struggling to hold in sobs. "You reacted the way you were supposed to after hearing all this."

A cold breeze ruffled her hair and she shivered. "I'm just sorry that I didn't tell you sooner."

Nathan shook his head. "Don't be." He rubbed her shoulder with a warm hand. Her skin tingled. "I want to help you get her back."

She looked at him. "Really?"

He nodded. "I'm sorry also about Dwayne." He looked at her with sad sparkling eyes. "I can lay off, if you need me too."

_Damn,_ Azalea's eyes watered. _He must feel so bad. Falling in love with a girl, who was pretending to be another girl who was married to someone else. And then only to find out that the girl he fell in love with was about to marry someone else as well._ Guilt surged through her.

Azalea kissed his cheek. "I'm so sorry, Nathan."

Nathan looked at the cloudy sky while his eyes reddened. "It's okay," tears streaming from his eyes contradicted his words.

Azalea wiped them away, starting to sob again. He stood up, not bothering to wipe his eyes, and took her hand.

She held it tightly as they began the long walk back to the palace. Thunder rumbled behind them. She was suddenly glad that Eugene was with Guy and Michael talking to Rapunzel's parents about her lastest episode. Fernidia and Olivia were refreshing themselves on herbs with their mother in the library.

Nathan escorted her to the washroom and instead of standing outside the door, he went inside with her, and locked it. The room was dark because of the cloudy sky. Azalea didn't bother to light any candles.

"What are you doing?" She asked him when she finished washing her hands. She was about to dry them, but Nathan took her hands in his and kissed her wet fingertips. She blushed and tried to pull them away.

"I want to know something," Nathan's breath was cold on her fingers. His green eyes were smoldering in the gloom as they focused on her gaze. "What do you really look like?"

Azalea breathed out. "I think you can imagine." She moved her hands from his and put them onto his shoulders. His hands flitted to her waist and she laid her head on his chest. "I have greenish gray eyes."

They began to sway slowly. Thunder shook the Kingdom, but Azalea paid no mind to it. Rain pattered quietly, responding to thunder's call.

"I have blond hair, shorter than Rapunzel's."

One of Nathan's hands wandered up to her hair and stroked it.

"I'm small, shorter than you." She was hardly breathing now. Just feeling his skin.

Nathan murmured into her hair, "Why can't I see?"

She looked up at him with Rapunzel's eyes and spoke with Rapunzel's voice. "You'll see one day." She promised him. Her heart throbbed painfully. Would she even be able to keep that promise?

They went quiet again and just swayed as the thunder and rain spoke to each other in hushed tones.

Dwayne's Point of View

He sank down onto the bed. "You look down."

Jacob was looking at him from the threshold of the house. He smiled at Dwayne. "Knock knock."

"What are you doing here?" Dwayne hurled himself to his feet. "They've got wanted posters for the both of us, and you act like you've come to town to buy a cupcake. Are you out of your mind?"

"Calm down, Dwayne." Jacob closed the door behind him. His black cloak as dripping. "Rapunzel's little flower got infected so I'm here for herbs to treat it."

Dwayne looked at Jacob. "She's at the house _alone_?"

_Damn! We could have gotten her tonight if we had known he would have come to town!_ Dwayne realized with a surge of anger.

"Don't worry. She's shackled to the wall. She and her swelling stomach." Jacob frowned. "Is it the soup that's causing that or is it something else?"

_She's with-child._ Dwayne wanted to say. _Quit feeding her so much soup!_

"What's that?" Jacob eyed a small golden circle on Dwayne's nightstand. Dwayne grabbed it and tucked it under the upturned sheets.

"Are you hungry? It's a long way to town from the house." Dwayne stood up to go to the small kitchen. "I can make you some soup?"

"No thanks," Jacob's attention was easily averted from the ring. "I'll buy some rolls from town."

"Dwayne nodded, pretending to understand. He looked at the azaleas outside in the grass. They were beginning to shrivel up. Next Spring, they'd be bright with color and would bore nectar.

"How's Azalea with pretending to be Rapunzel?"

"She's doing fine," Dwayne grabbed an apple off the small fruit bowl on the even tinier wooden table. "I've spoken to her a few times. I saw her today to tell her about watching Rapunzel."

"Ah," Jacob grabbed an orange. "I'm glad to hear that she's doing well."

Dwayne nodded.

In the uncomfortable silence that followed, Dwayne eyed Jacob as he peeled the orange.

Jacob looked up at him. "Dwayne?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you for helping me do this. You have only a tiny idea of what this means to me."

_Damn him!_ Now_ he tries to be my brother?_


	37. Sneaking Away

Chapter Thirty Seven _Azalea's Point of View_

It was a struggle for her to open her eyes. "Rapunzel?" Eugene's voice helped her feel her way back into her body.

"Eugene?" She blinked her sticky eyes open.

"You slept late, Blondie." She felt his hands stroke her hair. "Time to wake up."

He helped Azalea sit up. "What day is it?"

"It's the day of the Ball." He peered into her eyes. "You all right? You're very red."

"I'm fine," she mumbled. Azalea was hot. She slid off the bed and stood up.

Eugene was already dressed in his trademark clothes. "Need some help?"

Her nightgown hung on her despite her large stomach. "Please?" She smiled at him. Rapunzel would have done that, right?

Eugene helped her into a loose fitting green dress. It had short sleeves and flowed to her ankles. She pulled on matching sandals. She looked to where her hidden gown for Rapunzel was and realized that it would no longer fit Rapunzel. She'd have to give Rapunzel the very dress she was wearing.

Eugene grabbed her hand and escorted her to the Dining Hall. Through the large windows that covered the walls of the Palace, Azal could see that it was late morning.

"Mornin'!" Guy greeted her with a peck on the cheek. Michael was munching on a piece of toast while one hand was holding Fernidia's, who was eating strawberries. Olivia held open the door for them and the King pulled open Azal's chair. She sat down and smiled as he pushed it up. The smile faded a bit when she realized that when she came back tonight, she'd be someone else.

"When does the Ball start?" She looked into the eyes of Rapunzel's mother.

"The Ball starts at sunset." Fernidia said from her side of the table.

When they finished eating break feast, Azalea was allowed to walk out to the garden by herself. She sank down onto the cold grass and wiped tears from her eyes.

She stared around the cloudy sky and realized that it was nearing the end of winter.

"Rapunzel?" Nathan's voice sounded behind her. She glanced behind and saw that he was holding a plate of pineapple. "You forgot this."

She managed a tiny smile. "Thanks, Nathan."

He sat down on the ground with her. He was wearing a bright yellow vest, white cotton sleeves that were short, and khaki pants. He wore the same boots from the time she had told him her secret.

She bit a piece of pineapple. "Why do you want to help me?"

Nathan kissed her cheek. "I just want to."

"But why?"

"Does it matter?" He kissed her cheek again.

After a small silence, he told her. "I want to be with you, that's why."

Azalea felt her heart clench with her next words. "You might get in trouble for helping me, Nathan. I can't let that happen to you."

"Try to stop me, doll." Nathan stared into her eyes.

She looked away and wiped away tears. "Promise me that you'll run if things go bad."

_What about Dwayne?_ A small voice asked her. She ignored it for now. She would cross that bridge when she got to it.

"I promise." Nathan wiped away stray tears. "Don't cry anymore." He pleaded gently, his eyes staring at hers.

She tried to laugh. "I can't promise that."

Nathan helped her off the ground eventually. She made her way to the door, but he stopped her by grabbing her arm. "Wait."

Azalea turned back to him. "What is it?"

He pulled her tightly to him and his hand went to her stomach. He held it there, not moving.

Their eyes met. His smoldered gently while hers glistened with tears as she understood.

Azalea understood, and made a wish for him.

_Rapunzel's Point of View_

"I'll be back, darling." Jacob's voice woke me up. I stared at him with groggy eyes. "Once I come back, we'll get ready to go, okay?"

"All right." I mumbled. My body was numb with sleep. I must have been hanging there for a while. The chewed up herbs he had put on my flower had made it finally stop stinging. The infection made me hot, and he had shackled me to a wall to let me cool down.

He closed the door and I fell asleep again.

_Azalea's Point of View_

Azalea looked at Olivia from her side of the table. She was in the Dining Hall eating lunch. "Can I get some fresh air?"

"Take Nathan with you." Michael looked up. He and Fernidia were always around each other lately.

Eugene looked at Nathan. "Have her back an hour before sunset."

"Will do, sir." Nathan spoke, his voice quiet. He glanced at Azalea and smirked quickly.

Azalea stood up, wanting to give them –and herself- something to laugh about. She bowed to her sitting down friends.

Guy and Olivia burst out laughing. Guy howled, "She gets funnier every day."

Olivia eyed her. "Don't do that so often," she said when she finally stopped giggling. Stephanie waved the two of them away.

"Before long, you won't walk." Stephanie called to them.

"That's encouraging." Azalea grumbled when Nathan closed the door. He grinned and kissed her hand as he took it.

"Need anything?"

Azalea blinked and remembered the dress. "Yes! I, um. . ."

Nathan guided her to the room she and Eugene shared. "Have you done something you're not proud of?"

How could he read her so well? "I hid a dress for her."

"Smart." Nathan ruffled her hair.

He was so different than Dwayne! It was hard not to like him.

"I've got it." She opened the door, grabbed the dress, and then rushed into the washroom as her skin flushed fire.

Nathan knocked on the door. "You all right?"

"Just fine!" Azalea mumbled. "I don't feel so good."

"Let me in, doll." He knocked on the door harder.

"No, I'm not _sick_ but I feel hot." She was sweating as she sank onto the floor. She wiped dew from her forehead.

Azalea crawled over to unlock the door and Nathan took her in with wide eyes. "You still want to do this?"

She nodded and he wet a cloth. He wiped hurriedly at her face and arms. He tucked the damp cloth in his pocket. "I'll bring this."

She looked at him as he helped her off the floor. "Can we hurry?"

Nathan blinked at her. "So you want me to fly?" He stiffened. "All right, climb on."

They burst out laughing, and were still laughing as they left the Palace.

Nathan stopped when they walked into town. The town was strangely busy and her skin felt warm because of the humidity in the air.

"You know how to ride a horse?" Maximus was nibbling grass on the lawn of the house she and Dwayne had. Nathan looked at her.

"_What_?" Nathan asked.

"We're taking Maximus." Maximus looked up at the sound of his name and stared at Rapunzel. Pascal was on his shoulder and blinked.

Maximus trotted to her and sniffed her hair. He burst into a grin and moved to the side. He flicked her hand with his tail.

Nathan helped Azalea on, and then got on himself.

Pascal played with Azalea's thumbs as Azalea guided Maximus to the edge of town.


	38. Seeing Jacob

Chapter Thirty Eight Jacob's Point of View

He bought the rolls and eyed the guard that patrolled the town. They patrolled the side with the vendors more heavily, especially if several vendors were on one block.

Jacob stopped one that was too close to him. "What will do they to –if they catch them- the bastards that had kidnapped Rapunzel?"

The guard blinked. "I'm sure that they'll be thrown in jail, and then sentenced." He frowned. "Stealing the princess is probably punishable by death."

"What about when they capture them? Won't they struggle?" Jacob babbled, trying to get the guard to see his idea. "And surely the princess will be watching? They should knock them out."

"How?"

Jacob told him the instructions to putting the special herbs on a cloth that could render someone powerless in under a minute. The guard had a thoughtful look on his face when Jacob left.

_Knock them out indeed._ Jacob mused. He knew Dwayne was up to something.

_Azalea's Point of View_

It was late afternoon when they reached the tower. Nathan stared at it in wonder and Azalea peered at him from behind.

"You've never seen the tower?"

"Not this close," Nathan breathed. "Why would Linda keep her in there?"

"Linda?" Azalea looked at Nathan.

"Her name –your mother- was Cherri Angelinda Gothel." He smiled at her, but it didn't meet his eyes.

Nathan helped her off of Maximus and her name was yelled. "Azalea!"

She whirled around.

Dwayne was standing at the cave that they had passed through. He stormed to them and looked at her and then Nathan, and then her again.

"I was going to get you." Dwayne said, then turned to Nathan. "And who the hell are you?"

"Nathan Keen, sir." Nathan looked at Dwayne, and then Azalea. She saw the question in his eyes, _Is this him?_ She nodded quickly and then met Dwayne's eyes.

"He heard everything we were saying that day, and wanted to help." She stood taller. "You can't make him leave, I've told him everything."

"You _what_?" Dwayne suddenly towered over her, and she saw Jacob in him. "You told him everything? Why?"

Nathan pushed him away. "Back up!"

"You back up!" Dwayne pushed back harder.

Azalea scooted in between them. "Stop that!" She glared at them both. "We're here to get Rapunzel back, not argue."

"Yes, we are," Dwayne's voice was chipped. "But we'll argue later."

He ducked back into the cave.

Nathan turned to her. His eyes were like ice. "I don't trust him."

Azalea shook her head. "I do."

"Why?" Nathan shook her by the shoulders. "He looked like he was ready to hit you!"

She pulled away and watched wordlessly as Dwayne reappeared with a black horse. The horse neighed when it saw Maximus. Maximus nodded his head and Azalea stifled a hysterical giggle.

"We can just follow the waterfall." Dwayne said, looking at Nathan. "We're more than halfway there now. Besides, the horses would never make it down."

"There's a forest down there that we could climb up once we have her back." Azalea said. "The forest leads up to the Kingdom, but it goes around the waterfall."

Nathan agreed. "If we rush, we can get back before sunset."

Dwayne nodded. "Okay then."

Azalea stiffened as they neared the water slick rocks. "Wait." She climbed off of Maximus, landing on the balls of her feet hard. She wobbled and then regained her balance. She walked to the surging water and peered at the barely visible house.

"Azalea, what is it?" Dwayne asked from the black horse's back.

Azalea glanced at him and said nothing. She wanted to help Rapunzel, but how would the princess feel about her? She had agreed to help Dwayne.

Jacob's voice from her first nightmare rang in her ears, "I'm not the one who agreed to be Rapunzel."

Azalea realized that Jacob was right. She was a monster. She shivered as the cold wind sprayed her with water. "I'm sorry," she murmured to the sky.

Nathan and Dwayne exchanged glances when she walked back to them. Azalea didn't care. She'd never forget what she did to Rapunzel.

"You okay, Doll?" Nathan guided Maximus after Mint and Dwayne. Pascal stared at Azalea with sadness in his eyes.

"I'm fine." Azalea said, sniffling. She wiped at her eyes for any tears, and stared ahead.

When they finally made it down the waterfall, Azalea peered at the sky. It was very close to dusk. The sinking sun casted shadows on them, and she shivered when she saw the forests around them.

She climbed off of Maximus, who stood by with the black horse by the house. Dwayne patted the black horse. "Stay there, Mint."

Azalea knocked on the door.

Everything went silent as she waited for a response. Nothing.

Nathan and Dwayne barged the door open and Azalea rushed in.

"Rapunzel?" She called. "Rapunzel?"

"Who's there?" A very quiet voice sounded from down the hall. Azalea walked to the hallway, looking around the dark house. She was tempted to light a candle but decided not to.

Nathan was by her side when she opened the door from across the washroom.

She gasped when she saw Rapunzel.

She was hanging by her arms. Her stomach bulged out and her skin was pale. Rapunzel was sweating and her eyes seemed unfocused.

"Rapunzel, are you all right?" Azal rushed to her side. She took the offered cloth from Nathan and stroked her clammy cheeks. Nathan ducked out of the room.

Azalea stared worriedly at Rapunzel whose breathing was labored. She rubbed the princess's shoulders gently, feeling panic bubble in her as she began to feel numb.

"Rapunzel?"

"You're feeling guilty?" Rapunzel's voice was weak, but the accusation in her words was loud and clear.

Azalea winced. "I can't tell you how much it hurts me to think of what I helped him do to you." She told her, rubbing her numb shoulders more fiercely. "I feel terrible." Her thoughts drifted in and out in muddled clumps and she felt her eyes begin to slide close. She could hear the guys arguing in the kitchen.

"Now, what is your relationship with her?" She heard Dwayne ask sharply.

"Whatever it is, it's closer than what you'll ever be to her!" Nathan snapped. "You looked like you were about to hit her, Dwayne."

"I didn't agree with her telling you everything." Dwayne muttered. "You have no right to help us."

"I have every right!" Nathan sounded angry. "You couldn't have managed this on your own."

"I don't believe that," Dwayne retorted. "We would have managed just fine without you."

"I was so scared," Rapunzel's weak voice made Azalea blink open her eyes. "He kept feeding me hazel nut soup, and even though I didn't want it, I had to eat it."

"So you know then?" Azalea asked quietly. "You know about your. . ."

"I guess I always knew." Rapunzel looked at her from Azalea's lap with dark eyes. "There was no way that I was gaining so much weight from just soup."

Azalea felt guilt throb through her. "I'm sorry, Rapunzel."

The princess shook her head. "Don't worry about it," she mumbled. Azalea could feel sleepiness trickling into her veins.

"Are we going right now?" The princess asked. Her dark eyes clouded over suddenly, and Azal felt the sleepiness become more intense.

Azalea blinked. "Don't you want to?"

"More than anything." Rapunzel said. "I'm just so tired."

"We'll rest a bit." Azalea could still hear Dwayne and Nathan going at it.

Azalea and Rapunzel went quiet, and within seconds, Azalea was yanked into sleep.

She dreamed of darkness, but she could taste blood in her mouth. Light flickered around her, and she could hear a voice calling her name. Was it-

Azal rushed forward in the darkness. "Mother? Mother, I'm coming!" She called, feeling herself trip on objects she couldn't see.

She fell down again, but this time she fell forever. There wasn't anything she could grab onto, and the jolt of falling made her eyes fly open.

"Rapunzel?" She gasped. Was the princess awake?

"Azalea?" Rapunzel's eyes opened and Azalea could see that she had been crying. "I thought you were dead. You slept so heavy." The princess swallowed nervously. "I thought _I _was dead too."

Azalea went cold. "Why would you think such thing?"

"I slept just as hard." She murmured. Azal wiped gently at Rapunzel's forehead and arms with the cloth. "I saw Mother Gothel, too."

"Damn, Jacob!" Dwayne stood in the threshold. He stared at Rapunzel's limp shape with wide eyes. "I'm beating the devil out of him the next time I see him."

"Allow me to assist when you do." Nathan muttered, appearing next to him. Azalea didn't meet their eyes.

Dwayne unshackled Rapunzel from the wall and Nathan took her in his arms. "You all right?"

Rapunzel nodded. "I'm fine. Are we leaving? The ball's tonight."

"We're leaving right now." Azal said. "Come on."

Sobs shook Rapunzel. "I can't move."

"What do you mean?" Nathan demanded.

"I can't feel anything." Rapunzel said, her face dampening. "I was hanging for hours."

Dwayne helped Rapunzel to her feet while Nathan held the door open. Once they were outside, Azalea closed the door. Nathan looked at her from Mint's back.

Dwayne and Rapunzel were already on Maximus, who had neighed loudly in recognition when he saw Rapunzel. He paused, looked at Azalea and then blinked in confusion.

Nathan pulled her on; his face was cast into shadow because of the dipping sun. She had forgotten long ago that her own hair had been braided.

"What do I call you now?"

"Call me nothing." Azalea said. She felt lower than worms. "I feel like nothing."

"You are everything to me," Nathan murmured in her ear as they followed Maximus through the forest.

Before the sun dipped down into the trees, she looked into Nathan's eyes that stayed ahead. She kissed his cheek, hoping that it would be one of the first of many times.

Once they were through the woods, Dwayne stopped Maximus. Rapunzel was sleeping on his chest. He waited for them to catch up, and then spoke. "This was too easy."

"What _was_ too easy," a voice sounded behind them, "was to find you."

Azalea looked behind her, and screamed.

Jacob was sitting on the bridge. He smiled cruelly as he stood up. Rapunzel was jerked awake when Dwayne ordered Maximus forward. Maximus and Mint shot past Jacob. Jacob watched them go.

Jacob was still smiling. "See you later," he said in a cheerful voice.


	39. Going Without You

Chapter Thirty Nine _Azalea's Point of View_

They stopped at her house. Nathan helped Rapunzel onto the bed, who was sitting up with a dazed expression.

"We're here," Dwayne said. He sounded relieved. "Finally here." He glanced at Azalea. His eyes dimmed and then brightened.

"Jacob scared the hell out of me." Nathan pointed out.

"Yeah," Dwayne peered through the curtains. "He does that very well."

"What do we do?" Rapunzel asked. "The ball is tonight. I don't want to drag you guys down. I can walk to the palace by myself."

"No way!" Azalea looked at her. "We're going together."

"We can tag along." Nathan said. He looked at Dwayne who nodded at him. Their eyes were cold as they stared at each other.

Azalea felt something twitch in her head and burst out laughing. Rapunzel looked at her in puzzlement, and then her eyes started misting. She started giggling, and then they both were laughing. A strange euphoric feeling flooded over her, and she was smiling without wanting to.

"Stop them!" She realized that she had fallen on the floor and was struggling to get up. Nathan pulled her onto his lap and rocked her as she laughed. She was gasping when she finished, and Rapunzel was hiccupping.

"It's the soup." Rapunzel explained to them. "Jacob's been putting something in the soup."

"Betel nut and something else." Azalea said. Her sides hurt as the euphoric feeling leached away as quickly as it came. "It can do this to you if you've had too much. My mother would give me some when she went to check on you." Azalea didn't mention the heavy sleepiness that had clouded every thought and was impossible to resist. A sleepiness that would pin you down –making you numb- and then overwhelm you.

She had only experienced it once.

Rapunzel looked at Azalea with wide eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Azalea said. "It wasn't your fault."

Rapunzel shook her head and wiped away tears. "Can we go now? Everyone's probably looking for us."

Nathan shook his head. "I like to think that I hate dancing."

Dwayne looked at Nathan. "I'll dance with you."

"Nah." Nathan looked at Azalea. "I prefer to dance with beautiful girls named after flowers."

Dwayne blinked. "What?"

Nathan stared at Dwayne. "Problem?"

"Just that you like dancing with Azalea!" Dwayne pulled Nathan to his feet and slammed him against the wall. "Back off!"

"_You_ back off!" Nathan pushed Dwayne away. He fell against a chair and surged back to his feet. Dwayne knocked Nathan down with a punch to the stomach. Azalea froze in horror as they began to wrestle on the ground.

_Not now!_ Azalea thought in dismay. _They can't fight over me!_

"Stop!" Rapunzel yelled. She waddled over to them and yelled at Azalea over the sound of skin hitting skin. "Stop them!"

Azalea struggled to her feet and yanked Nathan away from Dwayne. "Enough, please!"

"You have to choose, Azal." Dwayne yelled. "I did this for you! You obviously now have to choose between him or me."

Azalea nearly fainted. "You can't ask me to do that."

"It's easy!" Dwayne was still yelling. "Choose that bastard, or choose me."

She shook her head and was about to reply when she saw Rapunzel struggling to the door. "Where are you going?"

"We need to get back to the palace." Rapunzel looked back at them and Azalea saw defiance in her dark eyes. "I'm going with or without you."

Azalea felt misery crush her and she opened the door for Rapunzel.

Once outside, Azalea looked at the men she cared about in the house, and turned away. They walked to the palace, and Azalea was pleased to see that the town was empty.

Before they reached the palace doors, Nathan and Dwayne were running toward them. Nathan held open the door while Dwayne scowled at Azalea. She ignored both of them, and she and Rapunzel went into the room Rapunzel and Eugene shared. Dwayne and Nathan waited by the door, standing yards apart and obviously trying not to look at each other.

No one was in the halls, and Azalea helped Rapunzel change.

"Wait," Rapunzel said as Azal walked to the door. "Don't go."

Azalea looked at Rapunzel. "What is it?"

"Why did you help me get back?"

"It was the right thing to do." She eyed Rapunzel. She looked exhausted and her hair was dirty.

"Let me help you." She helped Rapunzel change out of her clothes and helped her wash up. Rapunzel's hair was wet when she changed back into her dress.

"Sing." Rapunzel said, looking at her from where she was sitting on the bed.

"What?"

"You need to change back before anyone comes inside." Rapunzel explained. Why was Rapunzel watching out for her? Azalea abandoned the thought. There was no time to muse over such things.

Azalea nodded and sang the incantation. She felt her stomach shrink and her hair began to curl within itself. She opened her eyes and knew that they were changing back to her hue of greenish gray.

Rapunzel stared at her and asked, "I'm that big?"

"You're with-child." She explained, trying to sound cheerful. "What did you expect?"

"Something smaller."

They smiled in a brief feeling of friendship, and Azalea changed into the dress with pink blossoms.

"Ready?" Rapunzel looked at her with dark eyes. Azalea wondered when they would lighten.

"Never." Azalea said sincerely, hearing loud bangs and yells sounding outside the room.

They glanced at each other, and opened the door together. Azal held it, and as Rapunzel stepped through, Azalea prayed for forgiveness.


	40. Misunderstanding

Chapter Thirty Seven _Azalea's Point of View_

It was a struggle for her to open her eyes. "Rapunzel?" Eugene's voice helped her feel her way back into her body.

"Eugene?" She blinked her sticky eyes open.

"You slept late, Blondie." She felt his hands stroke her hair. "Time to wake up."

He helped Azalea sit up. "What day is it?"

"It's the day of the ball." He peered into her eyes. "You all right? You're very red."

"I'm fine," she mumbled. Azalea was hot. She slid off the bed and stood up.

Eugene was already dressed in his trademark clothes. "Need some help?"

Her nightgown hung on her despite her large stomach. "Please?" She smiled at him. Rapunzel would have done that, right?

Eugene helped her into a loose fitting green dress. It had short sleeves and flowed to her ankles. She pulled on matching sandals. She looked to where her hidden gown for Rapunzel was and realized that it would no longer fit Rapunzel. She'd have to give Rapunzel the very dress she was wearing.

Eugene grabbed her hand and escorted her to the Dining Hall. Through the large windows that covered the walls of the palace, Azal could see that it was late morning.

"Mornin'!" Guy greeted her with a peck on the cheek. Michael was munching on a piece of toast while one hand was holding Fernidia's, who was eating strawberries. Olivia held open the door for them and the King pulled open Azal's chair. She sat down and smiled as he pushed it up. The smile faded a bit when she realized that when she came back tonight, she'd be someone else.

"When does the ball start?" She looked into the eyes of Rapunzel's mother.

"The ball starts at sunset." Fernidia said from her side of the table.

When they finished eating break feast, Azalea was allowed to walk out to the garden by herself. She sank down onto the cold grass and wiped tears from her eyes. She stared around the cloudy sky and realized that it was nearing the end of winter.

"Rapunzel?" Nathan's voice sounded behind her. She glanced behind and saw that he was holding a plate of pineapple. "You forgot this."

She managed a tiny smile. "Thanks, Nathan."

He sat down on the ground with her. He was wearing a bright yellow vest, white cotton sleeves that were rolled up, and khaki pants. He wore the same boots from the time she had told him her secret.

She bit a piece of pineapple. "Why do you want to help me?"

Nathan kissed her cheek. "I just want to."

"But why?"

"Does it matter?" He kissed her cheek again.

After a small silence, he told her. "I want to be with you, that's why."

Azalea felt her heart clench with her next words. "You might get in trouble for helping me, Nathan. I can't let that happen to you."

"Try to stop me, Doll." Nathan stared into her eyes.

She looked away and wiped away tears. "Promise me that you'll run if things go bad."

_What about Dwayne?_ A small voice asked her. She ignored it for now. She would cross that bridge when she got to it.

"I promise." Nathan wiped away stray tears. "Don't cry anymore." He pleaded gently, his eyes staring at hers.

She tried to laugh. "I can't promise that."

Nathan helped her off the ground eventually. She made her way to the door, but he stopped her by grabbing her arm. "Wait."

Azalea turned back to him. "What is it?"

He pulled her tightly to him and his hand went to her stomach. He held it there, not moving.

Their eyes met. His smoldered gently while hers glistened with tears as she understood.

Azalea understood, and made a wish for him.

_Rapunzel's Point of View_

"I'll be back, darling." Jacob's voice woke me up. I stared at him with groggy eyes. "Once I come back, we'll get ready to go, okay?"

"All right." I mumbled. My body was numb with sleep. I must have been hanging there for a while. The chewed up herbs he had put on my flower had made it finally stop stinging. The infection made me hot, and he had shackled me to a wall to let me cool down.

He closed the door and I fell asleep again.

_Azalea's Point of View_

Azalea looked at Olivia from her side of the table. She was in the Dining Hall eating lunch. "Can I get some fresh air?"

"Take Nathan with you." Michael looked up. He and Fernidia were always around each other lately.

Eugene looked at Nathan. "Have her back an hour before sunset."

"Will do, sir." Nathan spoke, his voice quiet. He glanced at Azalea and smirked quickly.

Azalea stood up, wanting to give them –and herself- something to laugh about. She bowed to her sitting down friends.

Guy and Olivia burst out laughing. Guy howled, "She gets funnier every day."

Olivia eyed her. "Don't do that so often," she said when she finally stopped giggling. Stephanie waved the two of them away.

"Before long, you won't walk." Stephanie called to them.

"That's encouraging." Azalea grumbled when Nathan closed the door. He grinned and kissed her hand as he took it.

"Need anything?"

Azalea blinked and remembered the dress. "Yes! I, um. . ."

Nathan guided her to the room she and Eugene shared. "Have you done something you're not proud of?"

How could he read her so well? "I hid a dress for her."

"Smart." Nathan ruffled her hair.

He was so different than Dwayne! It was hard not to like him.

"I've got it." She opened the door, grabbed the dress, and then rushed into the washroom as her skin flushed fire.

Nathan knocked on the door. "You all right?"

"Just fine!" Azalea mumbled. "I don't feel so good."

"Let me in, Doll." He knocked on the door harder.

"No, I'm not _sick_ but I feel hot." She was sweating as she sank onto the floor. She wiped dew from her forehead.

Azalea crawled over to unlock the door and Nathan took her in with wide eyes. "You still want to do this?"

She nodded and he wet a cloth. He wiped hurriedly at her face and arms. He tucked the damp cloth in his pocket. "I'll bring this."

She looked at him as he helped her off the floor. "Can we hurry?"

Nathan blinked at her. "So you want me to fly?" He stiffened. "All right, climb on."

They burst out laughing, and were still laughing as they left the palace.

Nathan stopped when they walked into town. The town was strangely busy and her skin felt warm because of the humidity in the air.

"You know how to ride a horse?" Maximus was nibbling grass on the lawn of the house she and Dwayne had. Nathan looked at her.

"_What_?" Nathan asked.

"We're taking Maximus." Maximus looked up at the sound of his name and stared at Rapunzel. Pascal was on his shoulder and blinked.

Maximus trotted to her and sniffed her hair. He burst into a grin and moved to the side. He flicked her hand with his tail.

Nathan helped Azalea on, and then got on himself.

Pascal played with Azalea's thumbs as Azalea guided Maximus to the edge of town.


	41. Cold Shoulder and a Shock

Chapter Forty

I watched her out the corner of my eye. Azalea was walking purposefully toward the room I had been hypnotized in, but reluctance showed in every step. Before we were around the corner, loud voices sounded behind us.

"Rapunzel, stop!" I whirled around the best I could, and stood face-to-face with Guy.

He had several guards behind him, and I could see that they held Nathan and Dwayne by their hands behind their backs. Guy looked at me, and then Azalea. "Get her." He pointed at Azalea.

I protested and dove in front of Azalea with my arms out. "Come near her, and I'll run." Guy knew my clumsiness.

Guy and the guards froze. Nathan spoke, "You touch Azalea, and I'll-"

"You'll what?" Dwayne swung his head to Nathan who glared at him. "If these guards ever turn me loose, you and I are having a _long_ talk."

"I'll have those first and last words, Dwayne." Nathan snapped.

The guards eyed me and Azalea. I glared daggers at Guy. "Leave her alone."

"No, we're not going to." Eugene was suddenly behind me. I turned around to see him grab Azalea by the waist and pull her to him. "She's not going anywhere, Rapunzel."

"Stop! Let me go, Eugene!" Azalea struggled. Some of the guards behind Guy broke away and helped Eugene. I surged toward Azalea and was pushed back by the guards.

"Get on the ground!" The long hallway was suddenly filled with guards and yelling voices. Nathan yelled Azalea's name who struggled to squirm from Eugene's grip. Dwayne roared up and tried to break his way free from the guards holding him with kicks. I watched in helpless horror as Dwayne, Nathan, and Azalea were pushed to their knees. I pushed against the guards holding Dwayne, who was closest to me, and yanked at their arms as another one tied Dwayne's wrists together. "Get on the ground!"

"Rapunzel, stop." Michael was nearby, and I felt hands pull at my waist. I screamed as cloths were put on my rescuers' faces. Within moments, they all stopped struggling and went limp. "It's okay; don't keep struggling."

"Stop!" I screamed and yanked fiercely at the guards holding Dwayne. Michael pulled me back harder and I fell against him, my face washed in tears.

Olivia looked at me from where she was standing with the others, and reached her hand out to me. I pulled away from Michael, avoided everyone's eyes, and ran to the room Azalea and I had just been in.

I locked the door, barged it with a chair, and bawled.

I laid on my back and wiped my eyes continuously though it was no use. I had just watched my friends getting arrested. I should cry.

I pulled myself to my knees and rocked, sobbing harder.

_Azalea's Point of View_

She opened her eyes, groggy. Where was she? Azalea felt the hard ground underneath her and a chill seeped through her clothes. She shivered as she became more aware of her surroundings. Iron bars blocked the only exit she could see. She sensed light behind her and saw that there was a window with iron bars as well.

Azalea managed to sit up. She was surprisingly slow and fatigue filled her mind.

"Doll?" Nathan's voice was slurred. Was he just waking up as well?

"I'm okay," she mumbled loudly. Her thoughts drifted in and out. "Did they hurt you? Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, don't worry." Nathan sounded close by. He was in the cell next to her, maybe?

"Azalea's awake?" Dwayne sounded across from her. She crawled to the front of her cell and peered through the bars. Dwayne's shadowed shape was barely visible, and she could barely see him in the shadows of the night. With a shock, Azalea realized that it must be past midnight.

"You two are finally up!" A loud, deep voice sounded nearby. Azalea winced and pressed herself against the wall.

She could see a tall figure standing up. He was staring at them through the gloom. "The name is Alexander Ruffin. I'm one of the wardens here, so just call me 'Warden'."

He went on, "I don't expect you guys to be happy here, but you've must have broken a law, so I incline that you try to enjoy your stay." He blinked at Nathan's cell. "Nathan, what the hell are you doing in here? I don't recognize the other lad and the girl, but I do know you."

"I helped my friends out, Alex." Nathan said. Azalea fidgeted and wished for water. She was thirsty from yelling and struggling from Eugene's arms. "What are we in here for?"

"Kidnapping the princess, that sort of thing." Alex sat down in front of Dwayne's cell. "But you guys brought her back, so I don't really know why you guys are in here."

"Great," Dwayne said drily, "We're in here for no real reason. Damn, life's a b-"

"Now, now." Nathan said, chidingly. "Not in front of Azalea, Dwayne."

"Shut the hell up." Dwayne snapped in the darkness.

Alex chuckled. "So you all know each other? Good, I guess. That'll make the duties easier on yourselves."

"What duties?" Azalea asked, her voice catching.

"So she's awake after all?" Alex clapped his hands. "I was about to open that cage up and kiss you, dear."

Nathan and Dwayne made a disapproving sound.

"Chill out, lads." Alex was at ease. "I was kidding. Surly bunch, you fellows are. Anyways, I'm sure that the worst they'll do to you three is give you all kingdomly duties for a few months."

Dwayne huffed. "I'm not changing diapers."

"No, nothing like that." Alex said. "But, sorry Nathan, the worst that could happen to you is you lose your guard status. You might be bumped down a bit. Maybe to messenger."

"Who cares?" Dwayne said. "I just want to get out of here."

"Nah," Alex rubbed his head. Azalea couldn't tell if he had hair or not. "You're in here for the night, for sure. Rest easy, eh?"

Nathan chuckled. "Rest easy? Dwayne? He'll be beating the hell out of me when he dreams."

"And that dream is going to become a sweet reality once I get out of here, Nathan." Dwayne grumbled.

Alex stood up. "Nice chatting with y'all." He walked toward the wall, and Azalea assumed that Alex could see the door. "See you in the morning."

When the heavy door slammed closed, Azalea could hear herself sobbing. She struggled to quiet them, but they rang in the silent darkness.

"Easy, Doll." Nathan cooed from his cell. "It's okay."

"It bloody hell isn't." Dwayne snapped. "She's tough, Nathan, she can handle this."

Dwayne was wrong. Azalea cried into the first light of dawn.


	42. New Day, New World

Chapter Forty Two _Azalea's Point of View_

She was lying flat on her back, dreaming. Azalea had finally fallen asleep two hours ago, and now she was caught deeply in the webs of sleep.

Azalea was walking through town, peering around corners. She wasn't supposed to be out in the afternoons. A guard saw her by the vendors, and yelled. "Prisoner escaping!"

_Escaping?_ She had just been walking around, looking for something. . . Or someone.

She ducked behind a long clothesline, but before she had gotten through, the clothesline became covered in thorns. The thorns raked the skin on her face and arms raw.

Punches and sharp blows on various parts of her body made her tumble to the ground. Guards crowded all around her and though none of them were touching her, she could still feel the punches.

One guard called her name, "_Azalea!_"

She looked around wildly at the faces. It was Nathan's voice, but she can't see him in the crowd of guards. The blows ache and made her eyes blur with tears. They _hurt_.

Nathan screamed again. "Azalea, _wake up!_"

Her eyes flew open the exact moment a fist connected to her face. She gasped and sat up. Men crowded around her and she could see Nathan being held down next to her with blurry eyes.

"You bastards!" Dwayne was struggling to get to them from the back of the crowd as they hit Azalea. "Get away from her!"

Azalea's eyes tried to focus as they stared at Nathan's face. He had deep purple bruises along his jaw and cheeks, and she couldn't tell whether they had been from the struggle with the guards or now.

"Enough!" A voice of authority sounded from behind the other prisoners. They all froze in their tracks and went out of her cell. The warden stared down at Azalea. "You okay?" She recognized Alex's voice from last night. He had graying brown hair, brown eyes, and was scowling.

"I'm okay," she stifled a shudder. Alex helped Nathan off the floor, and Dwayne rushed in. He grabbed her hand and hurled her to her feet. She wobbled and shook terribly as she stood up straight. She looked at where the prisoners had gone. "They're gone?"

"They left, hon." Alex was taking in her form. "Are you sure you're okay? You're shaking awful hard."

Azal shook her head. "Is that all they did? The hitting, I mean."

Nathan blinked at her with those green eyes of his. "I want to say I made sure of it, but those guys were heavy as hell."

"He means yes, Azal." Dwayne looked at Alex. "Where were you? You're not the only warden here, are you?"

"'Course not." Alex was still staring at Azalea. "But I am the only nice one here, 'twas confirmed last night at the weekly warden meetings we have."

Azalea stopped shaking as she listened to Alex's voice. She realized that he could have been her father. "How many are you?"

"Think of it like this, Doll," Nathan said, licking his bleeding lower lip, "for every ten prisoners, there's two wardens. And since there were about twenty in here, and certainly more up and about, there's probably ten wardens or so."

"Right you are," Alex mused. "However, none of the other Wardens like you-"

"I was never very likeable." Dwayne said, one hand going to the bruise on his cheek. He glanced at Azalea. "Except to some."

Azalea blinked hard, and rubbed her right arm absently. It throbbed in several different places, but she couldn't tell whether she had bruises or not. She was still wearing the white dress with the pink blossoms.

"They don't like that you three were involved in the kidnapping of Rapunzel." Alex cut Nathan off, who was beginning to explain himself. "Even though you brought her back, the entire kingdom is upset. Some might want you. . ." He stopped, looking at Azalea.

Azalea winced as she tried to finish his sentence. _Dead?_ She wondered. _Some might want us _dead_?_

Nathan raked a hand through his black hair. "What are our duties?"

"You want to get started on them, now?" Dwayne looked at Nathan. "I prefer to procrastinate, Nat."

"Did you just call me 'Nat'?"

"Yes, I did." Dwayne tried to smile. "Problem?"

"None at all." Nathan met Azalea's eyes in confusion.

Alex looked at her, and walked outside of the cell. Late morning light filled the jail, and she could see that some cells were actually made of wood. She frowned as she followed Dwayne and Nathan out.

"Azalea, right?" Alex blinked. He was standing by one of the doors at the end of the short wooden hallways.

Azalea nodded. "What is it?"

He moved toward her and whispered in front of her. "Stick close to me, Nathan, or that fellow over there." His brown eyes were dark. "There's hardly a woman in here, and the last one who was in here was treated badly."

"What happened to her?" Azalea dared to ask.

He whispered softer. "Terrible things."

A warden barged through the door. "I see our newest prisoners are up." He had dark hair -somehow it seemed darker than Nathan's- and deep blue eyes. They seemed to twinkle when they took in Azalea. "Thanks, Alex."

Alex looked at him. "I was just taking them to the check-in, Diego."

"Sure you were." Diego said dryly. He looked at Azalea again. His eye twitched. _Was that a wink?_ Azalea wondered, feeling her stomach churn.

"The check-in is where all the new prisoners go," Diego began explaining. He finally tore his eyes away from her and looked at Dwayne and Nathan. "You turn in your clothes if you're in for a short period of time. You get fresh ones."

Nathan blinked. "Why can't we keep the clothes that we have on?"

"The wardens made it this way. They're supposed to break you." Dwayne said.

Diego glanced at Dwayne. "Do you have something to say?"

"Yes, I do." Dwayne snapped. "What is Azalea going to wear? She's a lady; she should at least be working in the palace with the other maids."

"Sorry, the rules are the rules, wise guy." Diego stared at Dwayne, a challenge in his eyes. "We _do_ hardly get any women in here, so the rules haven't changed in quite a few decades."

Azalea stepped between them. "I don't mind, Dwayne." She stifled a hard shudder. "I have done my share of bad things."

"Yes, you have." Diego whispered in her ear. "Bad-doing girls like you should be punished."

Azalea couldn't stop the shudder this time. Diego was very intimate to her, and she felt his hands on her shoulder like they were old friends. He pulled her away from Dwayne. "Follow me gentlemen, Azalea, Alex."

His hand was cold, and being so close to him sent chills up her spine. She forced herself to walk steady and not pull away.

Diego led them out the door, and into the outside. Azalea blinked as the bright sun hit her eyes. Walking was hard, and she felt surprisingly stiff.

They passed through town, and Azalea tried to stay quiet as she felt accusing stares and heard mutters and whispers all around her.

Alex called to Diego. "Can't we take a different way? They're not here to be in a parade."

"This way is quicker." Diego said, and that made it final somehow. Before long, a tiny house made of bricks was in the distance. They had reached the tiny space of housing right in front of the palace.

When they reached the house, Azalea could hear yells and loud laughter going on. "What is this?" She asked. She hoped her shaking voice sounded steady.

"This is the check-in." Diego said. He opened the door, and held it open. Nathan and Dwayne were on Alex's heels.

The room was crowded with men, and Azalea almost ran out. Were these the men who had been hitting her this morning? The large space quieted, and Azalea could hear birds chirping outside.

"Are these the newbies?" A warden asked from a wooden desk. There were several desks all around, and some of them had folded gray shirts, pants, and belts on them.

Diego nodded. "One female, two males. Azalea, Dwayne is the brown-headed, and Nathan is the dark-headed."

The warden looked interested. "Azalea." He looked at Azal, and she tried not to tremble under his searching gaze. "Come forward," he said after a long pause.

Nathan and Dwayne were exchanging glances, and stared undaunted at the men around them.

"What's your full name?" The warden asked her.

Azalea looked at him, wondering if she could trust him like she felt like she could trust Alex. "Azalea Salta Gothel Dixon."

"And what do you go by?" Where was he writing this down? He was just staring at her, his eyes moving up and down.

"Azalea." She said.

His eyes blinked and lingered on her face. "Where are your parents?"

"One's dead, I never knew my father."

"Have you been in a relationship with anyone in the past five years?"

_These are starting to become personal._ Azalea thought in dismay.

"I have."

"What is your relationship with him now?" The warden stood up and motioned for her to follow him. He led her to a corner of the room.

"I'm not sure." She was thinking of Dwayne when she replied.

The warden bent his face down to hers and she took a step back, only to bump into a wall. "Have you and him ever been together physically?"

_What?_ Azalea froze, wanting to slap him, leave the kingdom, cry, or even scream-

His face was too close to hers. She pressed harder against the wall. "What do you mean?"

His eyes glittered. "Anything can happen in here." He said, leaning away. The warden's eyes refocused. "Don't want for someone to save you. Save yourself."

He left her by the wall to question Nathan and Dwayne. Shock and confusion kept Azalea rooted where she was.

When they were done, Nathan walked to her to bring her back. He took in her form with his sharp green eyes. "You okay?"

She hoped she looked okay. "I'm all right." She moved to follow Dwayne and Alex, but Nathan got in her way. He put his hands on her shoulders and met her gaze.

"Do you want me to sneak you away, Doll?" Nathan asked. His eyes were warm. "I could do it, you know."

"No, no," she said. "I deserve this."

Nathan shook his head. "You don't deserve the way these bastards are looking at you. They look like they're undressing you with their eyes." He groaned. "It makes me sick."

Azalea moved away from him and grabbed his hand. His free hand stroked her cheek. "They hit you, Nathan. I'm sorry."

"That's what I get for falling in love with the most beautiful girl in the world." He kissed her nose. "If it happens every day, and I still get to have you just like this, I'd take it anyway, Doll."

Azalea smiled and followed Dwayne and Alex. The men had long left –perhaps to do their own duties.

Diego was waiting by one of the desks for them. Alex was showing Dwayne the new uniforms they would be getting. Diego whistled quietly and said, "If you were to ask me, I'd think you two were a couple."

Nathan and Azalea looked at each other, and purposefully burst out laughing and started denying it. "You're blind," Nathan chuckled. His eyes still met Azalea's, however.

_You _are_ blind,_ Azalea thought. _We're so much more than that._

"Ready for your new drapes?" Dwayne was already in his uniform. His clothes lay on the floor and he picked them up. He had on gray pants; the fabric gray belt was tied tightly on the pants so Azalea expected them to be too big. The shirt had long sleeves and a collar.

"Here." Diego handed her a pair. "They're _mens_, sorry."

Azalea only nodded at him and looked around. "Where do I change?"

"Right here is just as fine." Diego said. His eye twitched again.

Azalea went cold. "Right here?" She wouldn't have minded it if she were changing in front of Nathan, would have enjoyed it in fact, but right here? In front of two perfect strangers? She trusted Alex a little bit more, but in front of Diego? "I can't do that."

"Diego, you silly bastard." The look on Alex's face suggested that Alex had wanted to call Diego by more names. "Let her change in one of the tiny washrooms."

"Oh!" Diego smacked his forehead. "We have those?"

"Where have you been in the past few years?" Alex looked cheerful, but his eyes were furious. "Come on, Azal, I'll show you." He had already picked up on her nickname.

He grabbed her by the shoulder, and as he led her into the washroom, he whispered in her ear. "Don't listen to anything Diego says. For no reason, you hear me?" His voice turned bitter. "Other girls did that."

Azalea shuddered, and this time, Alex tried to smile at her. He mouthed the words, "Keep your head up."

_Why?_ Azalea wondered as she changed. _Is someone holding it down?_


	43. Friendship Over Red Clay

Chapter Forty Three _Azalea's Point of View_

She looked at Dwayne and Nathan wearily. Azalea was sure that she had only slept a few hours. Alex and Diego were sitting down, watching them warily even though the three of them weren't talking.

"I reckon that Azalea needs light duties," Diego was saying to Alex. "She shouldn't be doing the hard work like those two could be doing."

"What do you suggest?" Alex asked. His eyes were staring around the room.

"Stable work." Diego began listing things, "Washing the laundry."

"Brilliant," Alex said drily. He reminded Azalea of Guy. "I'll find something for her to do."

Diego gestured for Nathan and Dwayne to follow him. Nathan glanced at Azalea in panic, but followed Diego out. Dwayne stared around the empty room and scowled.

"Now," Alex's voice grabbed her attention. "What do _you_ want to do? All the duties here were designed for men. I'm going to let you choose your duties."

Azalea was taken back. "I-I don't know. I don't mind the stable work and washing laundry though. What else could I do?"

Alex looked thoughtful. "You could tend to civilian's houses if you'd like. Some would be snobby about it though, so I wouldn't recommend it for you. How about baking? You good at that? Men do that too, but they only clean up. You could prepare batter and such, if you think it'd be better for you."

Azalea thought about it. "Do I have to decide right now? Why can't I just do several different things until I figure out which one?"

Alex stood up from the table and adjusted his dark gray vest. "Whichever you prefer, dear. But we should get going now. I could show you the stables."

"Okay." Azalea tightened the gray belt on her pants. They had been given sandals that were too big as well, but they were shoes. She followed Alex out of the check-in, and to the right of the building. After several minutes on a dirt trail, she could see the stables. She gasped. "They're big."

"Of course. We have all the horses in the kingdom in here." Alex chuckled at her shocked expression. He nodded at the two or three guards that were leaving on their horses, and opened the door for her.

She peered in and saw many different colored horses waiting inside. Several stalls were in the process of being built, and she could see large bales of hay to the right of the entrance. Pitchforks and bags of oats and apples were piled next to the hay.

"What do I do?" She didn't need to ask. Azalea could feel a strange sense of purpose filling up her mind, and she could picture herself doing some of the chores. Her muscles ached with impatience.

"I think you can guess. Clear out the old hay with new, make sure they're all fed." Alex was staring at the horses. "Animals don't judge without experience, dear. I'll show you the extra supplies and treats within a few days of this, all right?"

"Okay." He was talking like he was planning to leave. "And will I be watched?"

"Secretly." Alex said. His eye twitched in a friendly way, and seeing it made her smile. He patted her shoulder in a fatherly way, and whispered in her ear, "No, you won't be watched. But be careful, the knights are protective of their horses."

She waved when he left, and began to check on the horses. The variety of their colors wasn't much, but every time she peered at one, she could feel the differences. _Animals, I could do this_, Azalea realized with a rush of small hope.

A gray mare with patches on white on her stared at Azalea, and she could feel a certain heaviness in the mare's gaze. She unlocked the stall and peered at the mare to get a closer look. The mare's abdomen was blown up, and Azal realized that the mare was expecting. She smiled to herself and stroked the mare's neck.

Azalea looked down at the hay beneath the mare's hooves and saw that it was dry and clean. She fed the mare oats, and went to check on the next few horses.

**Nathan's Point of View**

He was rubbing his forehead, wincing. "So, you are to make the bricks using water and let them dry in the sun for a day. When you come back tomorrow, you stack them side by side." Diego was saying.

Their job was to make bricks for the houses. Diego had shown them what they were to do while in jail: Chop wood for the stables, gather herbs for the kingdom, and in the town, they'd have to pick up litter even though the town was the cleanest place Nathan had ever seen.

"Understand, gents?" Diego asked. Dwayne rolled his eyes. Nathan was more worried about Azalea. It was hard to be away, and then knowing that strange men were all around-

"Yes, sir, thank you, sir." Dwayne said. He went to the stack of bricks. "When do we ever move these, _sir_?"

"When I say so, sir." Diego smirked at Dwayne. He looked at Nathan. "Got it?"

Nathan nodded, tempted to slap Diego. "Loud and clear."

Nathan and Dwayne were left with the other snickering prisoners, and started to wet the mud and shape it.

"When we're freed, Nat, I'm leaving the jail and never looking back." Dwayne said. Dwayne's dark chestnut brown hair already had red clay in it.

"Those that do look back, always come back." Nathan warned.

Dwayne was shaping his wet mud into a square. "I'm looking forward to not looking back, then."

Nathan stifled a laugh, and then wondered where the laugh came from.

_Months of this, and we'll be good friends._ Nathan realized.


	44. Weakened Spirits and a Suprise Visit

Chapter Forty Four

I was having trouble moving the chair from the door. Jacob was laughing. "You'll never move it!" His laughter made me frantic.

Azalea was shackled to the wall across the bed. She was screaming for Nathan and Dwayne, who were both on the floor, bleeding from their necks.

Another Jacob was standing in front of the washroom door, and snickered at us. Their laughter made me yank harder at the chair. The chair was as heavy as a ton of lead.

The Jacob by the washroom stalked up to Azalea, and the Jacob behind me grabbed me in a headlock. He wrestled me to the floor, and then Azalea was screaming bloody murder.

"I own both of you." He grinned, and then pain flashed through my throat, and everything fuzzes out to black.

When I woke up, I was trembling with heat and shaking.

In the past week, everything was different. The Dining Hall, in my few brief absences –I didn't like to see the guys staring at me, pleading with me to understand- had swiftly divided itself with women on one side and men on the other. It bothered me that even my parents were on both sides. My new hobbies were walking around in the library, staring at the covers of books without opening them, and sleeping.

_I'm going to see them today_. I told myself fiercely as I scrambled out of my nightgown and into a dress Stephanie had given me. The old ones were becoming too tight, and this one gently enveloped me.

I was hesitant when I reached the chair, and when I moved it, I could hear Jacob laughing at me.

"Hi, Rapunzel." Olivia greeted me with a plate of pineapple. I took it and smiled at her. I sat between Fernidia and Stephanie again.

When I finished, I was standing up to walk to the library when heat surged over me. I toppled back onto my seat and stared straight ahead like nothing was wrong while fire seared my skin through my veins.

"Rapunzel?" Stephanie was talking about herbs –she was convinced to have me know as much as Olivia and Fernidia- and looked at me. "You okay?"

I nodded when I was sure that I wouldn't faint. "Oh, yes. I just need to go to the washroom."

The men were discussing busily amongst themselves and as I stood up to move out the door, Eugene glanced at me. He looked at the redness in my face, and while his mouth didn't move, his eyes smiled.

I walked to the washroom hurriedly. I looked at myself in the small mirror on the wall, and saw that my skin was red. I probed the back of my neck gently, and though the flower Jacob gave me was still healing, I could tell that it was infected.

I splashed water on my face without being careful, getting the front of my dress wet. I looked at it and grinned, a strange euphoric feeling flooding over me.

I changed the dress in the room, and walked to the square. The town was more crowded than usual. Guards were all over, and I could feel everyone's eyes on me. I tried to ignore the guards, but smiled to every Coronan that met my eyes.

The women looked sad and angry at the same time, while the men just looked perplexed. I walked near the edge, not wanting to go back to the palace. A surprisingly large clump of guards were surrounding a house. I heard more guards inside, and walked toward them, cradling my stomach.

Guy was standing outside of the house and was issuing orders. He looked up and smiled at me like he sensed my approach.

"Can I see them?" I couldn't meet his eyes. He let the guards drug Azalea, Nathan, and Dwayne. They had rescued me. They didn't deserve whatever they were going through right now. I couldn't bear to think of them being punished for saving me.

Guy shook his head, looking back at the guards searching the house. "No. We're searching Dwayne's house right now."

Was this the very house I had been in? My stomach twisted as I thought of the guards searching through it carelessly, toppling over furniture and rummaging through drawers.

"I could go by myself." He made it sound like they were busy. I wanted to be by myself anyways. I really didn't want to see any guards.

"No, Rapunzel." Guy's green eyes were cool, disregarding me.

"They are in jail after they rescued me from a crime they didn't commit, Guy. I won't allow them to be in there any longer because they helped me. They should be released!" I didn't realize I was shouting until Guy spoke quietly like he was soothing a fussy child.

"Now, Rapunzel-"

The guy he had been talking to when I approached spoke, "Oh, let her go. It's the least we could do, Guy. She was right there. They did save her after all." He adjusted his collar and went on, "I tell you what, I'll escort her in myself. They're busy." He jerked his thumb to the crowd of guards surrounding Azalea and Dwayne's house.

Guy looked irritated. "Diego-"

"Come with me, Princess." Diego gestured for me to follow him. Guy watched us disappear into the crowd of civilians that had been watching, but didn't move.

Diego led the way, his strides fast and long. I nearly had to trot to keep up with him, and eventually sensing my slight distress, he slowed down until he was close enough to put his hand on my shoulder. I stiffened at his touch, then relaxed. He was helping me.

We passed the palace as we ducked onto a dirt trail next to it. I frowned as I walked side-by-side with Diego. Obviously, I needed to explore the palace more.

When we reached the end of the trial, Diego kept walking. I paused. "We are going to the prison, right?"

Diego looked back, and had the unreadable gaze of a guard. His dark blue eyes glinted with something. . . "Of course, Princess. Come on."

I took a half step and faltered again. I hadn't explored myself, and Diego was one of the wardens –the deep gray color on his collar said so- but could I trust him? Who could I trust anymore?

I followed him and sickening thoughts filled my mind. Olivia, Fernidia, and maybe Stephanie had been there when my rescuers had been arrested. Would they have helped the guards if they had been guards themselves? Why did Eugene trap Azalea when he knew that she had brought me back?

"Rapunzel, let me in!" Eugene bangs on the door the loudest.

"You let them take them, Eugene." I say calmly. The bangs stop as I spoke. "Why would you let them do that?"

"I can explain, if you let me in." Eugene mumbles, pleading with me.

I stopped when I bumped in Diego, who had halted. "Sorry!" I backed away, rubbing my stomach, hoping the unborn child was okay. "Are we here?"

"Yes," Diego's voice was loud in the quiet. Birds were cooing faintly in the distance, but I couldn't see them in the trees. "You have to be careful, Princess, they might be angry." I understood his implication, and the distrust that made me jittery made sense.

I couldn't trust him. It was for sure now. Why would my rescuers want to harm me when they had seen me struggling to get to them? "Okay. I'll be careful. Thank you." I smiled shyly at him as he held the door open. He followed me in but went ahead of me.

I lingered by the door, suddenly afraid. The prison was dark somehow even though it was now mid-afternoon. Daylight filtered through the windows, and I realized that the prison seemed dark because hopelessness radiated from the cells.

I swallowed a lump in my throat and walked forward. I swallowed another lump; the cells looked like _cages_.

A man with a familiar face from the wedding went to three cells. Alex Ruffin.

"They're all yours, dear." Diego ruffled my hair and I gulped. "I'll be at the door."

Alex smiled weakly at me as he and Diego walked pass me.

Nathan burst out of his cage when Diego was not in sight. He glanced at me, smiled for a split second, and hurtled to Azalea's cage. She was staggering out of it and fell as she passed the steel threshold. Nathan caught her and kissed her cheek. "You all right?"

Her voice was quiet. "I'm fine, are you?"

Had one of them been hurt?

"Just fine, Doll." Nathan said, looking around. "Dwayne's here-"

"Damn." Dwayne winced as he stepped from the shadows of his own steel cell. "Glad to finally be out of there."

"Are you all okay? Did they hurt you?" I was in front of them before I realized it, looking at them with blurring eyes. Their dark gray uniforms were dirty and red clay was in Nathan and Dwayne's hair. Azalea's hands were scratched raw, and I could see tears in the backs of all their shirts.

"We're fine." Nathan pecked my cheek. I hugged him, my arms wrapping themselves around his back. He winced slightly and managed another smile.

Azalea hurtled herself at me and hugged me tightly, my stomach squished. She rocked back and forth, coughing hard and then I realized that she was crying. Tears exploded from my eyes and I sobbed into her shoulder, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Nathan and Dwayne watched us with reddening eyes and Dwayne turned his head away for a moment. Nathan rubbed Azalea's back soothingly while Dwayne stroked my wet cheek.

Azalea gasped. "I'm n-not crying because I'm s-sad. Well, k-kind of. But I'm so h-happy to see you!"

"I didn't know that they would do that to you guys." It was hard to speak because sobs still choked me. "The kingdom might as well as divided itself into Coronan men and Coronan women."

"They should have!" Dwayne blustered. "Drugging us like that! Whose idea was it? I want to talk to him."

"I don't know whose idea it was, and I don't care." I was struggling to wipe away oncoming tears. "It wasn't right."

Azalea pulled away and her cheeks were streaked with tears. She tried to smile and more tears wet my face. She was so brave.

"What are we in here for? Any idea?" Nathan was the steadiest one, of the three of them, I could tell. It was in his demeanor.

"I don't know anything." I said honestly. "No one has told me anything, or explained."

Azalea wiped away the tears and swallowed hard. "What's going to happen to us?"

"Do they know what happened?" I ask, looking for Olivia. She is talking to Guy, who had escorted us, in a hushed angry tone. His eyes sharpen and go cold. She turns away from him and begins to walk toward us. I blink when I see that her face was becoming streaked with tears.

"They got the news from Fernidia and Olivia." Stephanie explains.

I hug Olivia when she reaches us. "What happened? I know something's wrong."

Olivia meets my dark eyes with her blue ones. "Guy wants them executed."

I couldn't tell them. "It's still being discussed."

"What do you think should happen to us, Princess?" Nathan asked. His green eyes were dull, and my vision suddenly cleared. They were all exhausted. Whatever was going on, it was slowly breaking them. In Dwayne's usually defiant eyes, I could see emptiness in them and my heart ached.

"I want nothing to happen to you. You rescued me, you should be rewarded." Movement distracted me. I looked at Azalea's suddenly blank face and stared at her. "Azalea?"

"Hmm?" She looked at me with unfocused eyes. "Rapunzel, are you okay? You're blurring." She almost smiled and dread hit me.

"What's wrong with her?" I demanded, looking at Nathan and Dwayne with horrified eyes.

"I was rowdy earlier and they calmed me down, Rapun-" Azalea giggled. "Gave me something on a piece of cloth."

Dwayne looked at me. "Something happened, and Azalea was very upset."

I gasped when Azalea suddenly looked faint; in two seconds, she crumpled to the ground. Nathan caught her again, and held her up bridal style. He bent his face down to nuzzle her ear with his cheek.

"What had happened?" I asked, feeling cold.

"Something very bad." Dwayne's eyes suddenly chilled. "You'll learn about it soon enough. I imagine that it will be all over the kingdom by now."

Nathan met my eyes with exhausted forest pools. "Are we going to make it?" He whispered.

Suddenly, everything seemed fragile.

"Yes, you will." I said, willing it to be true. They _had _to make it. I couldn't start doubting them now.

I felt more tears stream down my face and didn't wipe them.


	45. Red Clay Bricks

Chapter Forty Five_ Azalea's Point of View_

The day before Rapunzel had come was the worst day of Azalea's life. Azalea sleepily remembered it with a pang of fear and hate.

She is walking side-by-side next to Diego. Azalea eyes him uncomfortably, longing to run forward to Nathan and Dwayne, who are working making bricks for the kingdom and chopping wood for the stables. It was Alex's idea for her to help along, though she has no idea how she envisions her "helping".

"So, Azalea, you're going to be scooping up chunks of clay so it's easier for all the prisoners to shape them into bricks." Diego is saying. "That way, they won't have to dig into the ground for clay, and wet it in the stream like you'll be doing."

"What about when it dries?" Azalea hopes her voice doesn't tremble. She was going to be surrounded by strange men. Her heart flutters.

"You'll be stacking it with them of course, but once you have a stack of ten bricks, you'll load them into the wheelbarrows."

Azalea nods shakily and breathes a sigh of relief when she nears the space where the men are working. They are mostly surrounded by woods, but dirt trials are all around, and she hopes that they lead to the kingdom and not deeper into the wilderness. The wheelbarrows Diego had mentioned are by the trees, and next to the wheelbarrows are stacks and stacks of red clay bricks drying in the sun.

_What will we do when it rains? _Azalea thinks in brief panic. _The sun won't be out then, and the bricks will stay wet._

"Go start stacking, they've been working since dawn." Diego pushes her to them, a little too hard. She glances at the sky and saw that it was late morning. She walks toward the drying bricks and begins to load them in the wheelbarrows. Several wardens are watching them, and they all hold something sinister looking in their hands, but she doesn't see what it was.

As she works, she realizes that some of the bricks were still wet, and avoids those. When she is done, more wet clay bricks waited behind her, and she stacks those quickly into piles.

Seeing that her work with stacking is done, she wandered to the red churned-over earth and begins to dig out chunks with her hands. After having twenty chunks next to her, she begins to shape them next to a strangely familiar face. He is talking to another prisoner –who looks a bit friendly- and is shaping the bricks beside her. She grabs a few of her red chunks that were almost squares, and walks to the stream to wet them.

They work for hours.

One time, on the way to wet one of the bricks, she drops one and it shatters into chunks. She exhales gustily and puts down the bricks she is carrying to reshape the one she dropped. It is now more like a big circle, and she abandons it to wet the other ones.

Whenever she wets the bricks, prisoners look up for her to give them wet chunks. She gives one to every prisoner she passes before going back to wet more bricks.

She realizes that shaping the chunks before she wet them was the key to moving fast: if a brick was already square-like before she wet it, wetting it and shaping it more into a square was easier to do instead of not shaping chunks into a brick after they were wet.

Azalea sighs as she works, looking at the red dirt in her nails and on her uniform. She gets up to deliver more wet bricks and gives one to a tan hand asking for one.

The head looks up and she sees Nathan's green eyes staring at her. He manages a quick welcoming smirk at her and she feel her skin flush. He grins even bigger and waves her along, winking.

She feels lighter when she starts digging up more bricks again.

"Halt!" Diego's sharp voice makes them all look up after an hour. Azalea smiles as she waits for what else he was going to say. She realizes that she shouldn't be smiling when she sees that Diego is staring angrily at the familiar face she had seen earlier. He is glaring at him, "You did it wrong, David."

David winces. "Diego, sir, I-I didn't mean to! I got distracted because I was thinking of my wife, Candace." He scrambles to his feet and began to back away. "Don't hurt me, please!"

Foreboding hits Azalea's stomach and she sees what Diego means. David had dropped one of the dried bricks while taking them to the wheelbarrow and it was shattered in half. She gulps painfully when she realizes what Diego is holding.

It was meant for horses: a whip.

Diego looks to one of the two wardens that had been watching them work. "Get the stock."

_Stock?_ Azalea had heard the word before, and she felt tears flow down her cheeks. She realizes what it was. Stocks were devices that were used for punishments. The person who was to be punished would put their arms through the holes and be chained inside so they couldn't pull free. The stocks were made of wood.

She looks at the whip in Diego's hand and balks, going pale. They were going to whip him while he was trapped in the stock.

"No, don't-" Her voice is tiny and she can't hear herself.

The warden comes back with the stock, and looks at the prisoners with slightly amused eyes. She holds her breath as David puts his hands through the holes. Diego chains them and pushes David to his knees.

"You move, I'll hit you harder," Diego warns him. Suddenly, Azalea is much closer to Diego and David. She can see David trembling.

Diego raises his hand and the whip hits the tree behind David. David mumbles a curse and she sees him trembling harder. A strange look came onto Diego's face and Azalea feels more tears stream down her face.

She tries to look away but one of the watching wardens catches her eye and says, "Diego, wait. I think all the prisoners should watch this, but the newbies should be closer up."

Diego looks at him, and smiles. "Excellent. They need to know what's going to happen if they mess up one little thing."

Alex is frowning from where he stands, and he shakes his head slightly. Judging from the lighter gray color on his collar, Azalea realizes that Alex hardly had a rank among the wardens. There was a deep gray color on the warden's collar who had suggested that they should be closer, and she realized that the darker the color, the more that particular warden would be listened to.

The wardens makes them circle around David and Diego. She is standing among strangers; Dwayne and Nathan are on the other side of the circle. She tries to put on a brave face.

Diego's hand rises again and the whip hits David square on the back. He grunted and David meets her eyes. They remain on her eyes every time Diego hit him, and after a while, David is struggling not to scream.

Azalea wants to start bawling. _When will it end?_ She demands quietly in her mind, her heart leaping with each stroke.

Eventually, she tries to speak, "No more."

Diego pauses and looks at her. "Excuse me?"

Alex is staring at her from the edge of the circle. His eyes are wide with an unreadable emotion. David is sobbing, his back was red and she can see tears in the skin. He wasn't going to last much longer.

Azalea trembles as she said it again, louder. "No more, please. He can't stand it, sir. He w-won't do it again."

"And what makes you so sure?" Suddenly, Diego is in her face. "This is why we do it, to make sure that they won't do it again." His dark blue eyes narrow. "You shouldn't talk during punishments like these. Come on."

_What?_ Azalea staggers forward until she was right in front of David's back. She is tempted to stroke his bleeding back, to promise he'd be okay. But she is frozen when Diego holds up the whip again.

It strikes her and David at the same time, and the suddenness of it made her scream. It had hit her across her shoulder blades. She holds her breath and folds herself over David so he wouldn't get hit.

Diego hits them again and again and again. Azalea makes sure that David doesn't feel anything, but she can't stifle her screams. David is murmuring loud enough for her to hear, "It's okay, it's okay."

"No, it's not," Azalea gasps into his ear. "Why do they do this?"

The whip hits her again, and she chokes on air. She coughed and curled herself tighter around David.

Loud yells make her look up with blurring vision. Nathan is shouting curses and insults, barely held back by Dwayne. Dwayne is knocked to the ground when Nathan surges forward, yanking the whip of Diego's hand. Dwayne shouts something incoherent and moves rapidly to them, his eyes wide.

Nathan holds onto the whip tightly, and Azalea sees rage in his eyes. The wardens around them begin whipping at their backs and Azalea screams. Nathan drops the whip as the first few hits land, and then he is struggling to them, his face racked with pain. Dwayne tries to ignore the hits and is yanking her off of David, who screams when the whips start to hit him. Nathan fumbles trying to take off the chains and Dwayne tries to help him.

The stings of the whips are making her hiss and scream while she tries to quiet David. David's eyes are red and he seems to be staring straight through her. Diego is suddenly right behind her and he yanks her off the ground. Nathan sees him and roars up, punching Diego in the side of the face. Diego drops Azalea, and then Nathan and Diego are throwing viciously accurate punches.

Yells and screams sound around Azalea while the wardens fight for control of the other prisoners, who were all suddenly trying to help them. The friendly face David had been talking to grabs Azalea by the waist and pulls her toward him. He rocks her quietly and yells at Alex to unlock David. Alex is trying to pull Diego from Nathan, who was struggling to get to Dwayne and help him unlock David's stock.

It is chaos as Alex finally yanks Diego from Nathan, who is bleeding from his nose and has bruises on his face. Dwayne winces as he yanked at David's chains.

Alex runs over to David and unlocks them. David tumbles out with a groan and lies limp on the ground, his eyelids fluttering. The wardens stop whipping at the prisoners and order them back to the Prison. Diego looks at them and then walks off with the Prisoners.

A few wardens stay, and Nathan is swaying on his feet. He falls and Dwayne catches him by the shoulder. He sees Nathan's green face and makes Nathan sit against a tree with his head between his knees.

Screams still echo in the now almost vacant space and Azalea realizes that she is the one screaming. She swallows and moans for David.

How could someone whip their prisoners so vigorously? _They wouldn't be able to work!_ She realizes with a sickening jolt that Diego must like doing that, otherwise he wouldn't have hit them for so long.

Alex comes up to her. "I'm so sorry, darling. I had no idea-"

She screams again when he comes near her and he freezes. He's not Alex. He's someone else, a stranger. A warden hands Alex something, and then a cloth is pressed to her face.

Azalea whimpered at the memory, and her eyes finally drifted shut.


	46. Hope to Pin On

Chapter Forty Six

When I heard the news, I could hardly look at anyone who wasn't Stephanie, Nathan's sister, Anna-Beth, Olivia, and Fernidia. We were all sitting in the library, glaring at the table. I was sweating with rage and fever.

"Why would they do that to them?" Olivia demanded. Her blue eyes were scorching. "They were helping David, that's his name, right?"

Fernidia was shaking with anger. "We need to start setting boundaries. Liv, don't you remember? Something like this happened last year!"

I was shocked. "How bad was it?" The heat pulsed through my body, hot and fast.

Nathan's sister looked at me with her dark green eyes. "Someone was hung," she said quietly. She glanced down at her stomach, and we both rubbed ours in sync.

"How did you guys figure out that I was back?" I looked at Fernidia.

She fidgeted with her dark blue bodice, her brown hair contrasting with it nicely. "Your eyes. They were dark when you left."

I hadn't checked to see whether they were dark now. Did it really matter? My friends were in jail, punished for no real reason. They were only trying to help David.

"Eyes are windows to the soul," Stephanie made an attempt to smile.

I nodded up shakily and looked around, my eyes starting to dew up. Suddenly, sobs were shaking me. Anna looked at me, her own eyes misting. Soon, we all were crying, getting tears on each other's clothes. I scooted to Anna's side and we hugged each other. Nathan was her brother, and he was in jail.

Fernidia and Olivia waved at their faces frantically and Stephanie hugged them both in turn. Olivia was sobbing, "What if Guy was in there? And Michael, too?" At the sound of Michael's name, Fernidia started bawling.

Stephanie was wiping her eyes and she looked at me. She gestured for me to stand up and I followed her to a quiet corner in the library. The visiting female visitors –the librarians didn't allow any men in- were all wiping their eyes as they guessed what we were upset about. Many of them offered us hugs and I could see some of them walking to the others.

Stephanie halted and her gray eyes were miserable. She looked at me. "Their father is one of the wardens."

"Which one?" I was struggling to hold my composure.

"William Canster," her voice shook. "He goes by Diego."

I felt dizzy. "Is he good? He won't harm them?"

Stephanie shook her head and grabbed my shoulders as if she felt like I was going to fall. "He was the one who hit David."

I was glad she held onto me, because I was falling to the floor.

Darkness swirled around me and I was floating. The white room greeted me again, and I walked around aimlessly. Memories rushed over me, and I was drowning in them. Eugene's hazel eyes, Olivia's laugh, Mother's kind face, Father's stern look that still made me giggle, Stephanie's words of wisdom that made me think of frosted cupcakes, Fernidia's adorable devotion to Michael, Michael's funny remarks, Guy's sarcasm, the tower and my free-falls into mid-air. . .

Voices drifted in and out. "Rapunzel?"

I was too deep underwater to stay awake. I wanted to answer, but the heat from the infection made me paralyzed.

The voice called my name again, and I could hear desperation in it. "Rapunzel, open your eyes."

_Eugene?_

Eugene's 'smolder', his fights with Maximus, seeing him hold my frying pan, watching his eyes glow as the lanterns filled the sky. . .

I managed to flutter my eyelids and sit up. I heard many sighs of relief and looked around with dark vision. I mumbled something incoherent, and then I was standing up, wobbling to the entrance of the library.

Warm arms grabbed me and pulled me into a hug. "Blondie, _stop_ scaring me!"

I looked up to see Eugene's hazel eyes. I looked back behind us and saw tear-streaked faces and felt confusion. "What happened?"

Olivia ran over to us from the mass of bookshelves. "Your heart stopped, Rapunzel! I'm going to need to examine you."

Fernidia was already next to us. "Let me get you some water." She looked at Eugene with a hard look. "Don't go anywhere."

Eugene smiled his "smolder" and pecked my cheek. "She's not going anywhere if I have a say in it."

I smiled as Eugene held me. I laid my head on his shoulder and he stroked my long braided hair. I didn't forget the argument we were in, but I was cheered up to be in his arms. It was pleasing to know that he was still here for me.

"How are you even in here?" Anna was waddling to us. "The librarian doesn't want men in."

"Real men get to their women no matter what, Anna." Eugene smiled at her.

Anna smiled faintly, and then her eyes dewed up again. I broke away from Eugene and hugged her before she said another word. She must miss her husband. She still had yet to explain where he had gone. If she never told me, I'd be okay with it.

Her dark brown hair tickled my face and she pulled back, putting on a watery smile. "I'm okay," she mouthed at me. I looked at her green eyes and nodded warily.

A woman with light brown hair and darker brown eyes walked to us. "Is David okay?" She trembled.

"I hope so," Anna said. She looked for Olivia and Fernidia. "Are you Candace?" Candace was David's wife.

The woman nodded. "I really need to see him. It's urgent."

Anna and I exchanged glances. "What's happened?"

Candace tried to smile and whispered it to us. "I'm expecting."

Another woman expecting a child. I smiled despite the weariness that suddenly knocked me breathless. Babies were gifts. "That's wonderful news!"

Anna looked at Candace and grinned. She hugged her tightly and Candace was wiping her eyes when Anna pulled. Olivia came back with wet cloths and we took one to wipe on our faces.

Fernidia was walking back and she saw us all crowded together. "I have an announcement!"

The library quieted and we all crowded all her. Fernidia was smiling brightly, and for a moment, I was perplexed. Had she heard Candace's news and decided to announce it?

"The three that rescued Rapunzel are being put on trial!"

The library cheered and I was bouncing up and down. A trial meant that they wouldn't be treated as prisoners, nor would they be executed _immediately_. Trials took months to be scheduled, because the only two ministers in the kingdom lived on the edge of our territory. But nonetheless, I had to hope that they could hold out until then.

A trial meant that they all had a chance to be properly announced innocent. Everyone in the library knew they were.

_Almost everyone,_ I looked at Eugene who was standing next to me. He seemed to feel me looking at him, and managed a smile. We'd be friends. For now.

Eugene leaned in and kissed my cheek.


	47. Bakery Memories

Chapter Forty Seven _Azalea's Point of View_

She was disoriented when the sun woke her up. Azalea sat up and stifled a groan. The scratches on her back stung fiercely and she felt tears damp her eyes. She wiped them away hurriedly and stood up shakily.

"Nathan?" Was he awake?

"Doll?" Nathan spoke remarkably close by. "Mornin'." She whirled around, hoping that he was in her cell but saw him peering through a hole in the wall. Her eyes lit up and she was in front of the gap, smiling.

"Morning." The sun seemed brighter and warmer on her skin. "Is Dwayne awake?"

Nathan shrugged. "No idea, Doll. Are you okay?"

She nodded. "I've been worse."

It was true. When her mother had left her in the tiny cottage in the middle of town, she had been half-asleep with the concoction her mother had made and fell off the bed, landing her arm. She had to wear a sling for several weeks, and most of the time went hungry because she couldn't feed herself anything other than the huge bowl of fruit left by her bedside when there was bread and cold soups in the kitchen.

She sank down next to the wall, looking at Nathan's face. He was growing a bit of a beard now. His eyes still gleamed warmly and danced with laughter. "Hungry?"

She shook her head. "No, I wouldn't keep down a thing."

Nathan smiled and after a short silence, he was laughing.

"What?" She looked at him.

"I wish I was in there. I could show you my beard that I'm growing." He chuckled.

"I can see it just fine from here." Azalea pointed out.

"You don't want me in there with you?" Nathan pretended to be hurt. His lower lip pouted. "I thought we were friends, Doll."

She moved closer to the gap so he could see her face. "I thought we were more than friends, Nat." She pouted as well.

He kept up the charade, but she could see affection dancing in his eyes. "If I could squeeze through there, we'd be dancing."

She smiled. "Really?" Suddenly, the game was gone.

Nathan nodded. "Really. Besides," he smiled brightly at her, "I play a mean harmonica."

Azalea moved back to where she was sitting against the wall facing the gap. "I'm okay with a flute."

"Then we'd have the best orchestra I would have ever heard." Nathan raked a hand through his hair. Red clay came from his hair and onto his hands. "I wish for a pot of warm water."

"I wish for you." Azalea hadn't meant to say it out loud. Nathan's eyes flew wide and she pushed her head down into her hands, wishing she could now disappear.

There was silence for a moment, then Nathan spoke, "Doll, I-"

"Good morning, friends!" Diego's voice sounded loudly around them. Sleepy groans echoed in the prison as more prisoners around them woke up. "We have duties today!"

Alex was starting to unlock the cells. Azalea glanced at Nathan, but he was staring straight ahead. Alex unlocked her cell and helped her out. He looked at her red face. "You're not coming down with something, are you?"

She shook her head. "No, I'm fine." He didn't need to know where the blush came from. Dwayne was standing next to David and the familiar face from yesterday.

David was speaking, "Liam and I worked in a bakery for a while." Dwayne was nodding and smiled at Nathan and Azalea, but was listening carefully to David. "I think all five of us can go today, hopefully."

"After the incident yesterday," Alex overheard them, "I wouldn't have it any other way." Nathan pushed Azalea forward until she was standing next to Liam. Liam had dark brown hair and blue-gray eyes.

Azalea looked back at the other prisoners and Diego, who was watching her from the door after hustling the prisoners out. His eye twitched, and Azalea felt herself go pale before turning around.

Alex led them directly into the kingdom and looked at Azalea. "You sure you're okay?"

She nodded. "I'm fine." She heard her voice catch and ignored it. "Is the bakery in the kingdom?"

"No," Nathan said. "But I guess we're taking a shortcut."

Alex nodded at Nathan, and Azalea heard a name sound behind her. "David! David!"

It was a woman's voice, and at the sound of it, David whirled around. A light-browned haired woman was dashing toward him. David grabbed her as she leaped into his arms and she started sobbing. "Are you okay? No one hurt you?" Azalea realized that the woman was Candace.

David was rocking her side to side. "Shush, I'm fine."

"I wish you were out!" The woman sobbed. "How long will it be until you're on trial?"

David looked at Azalea, Nathan, Dwayne, and Liam. "Whenever they're on trial, darling. I got the news right when the three of them got in the jail that we'd all be on trial together. Trying to kill two birds with one stone, I suppose."

A guard stalked up to yank Candace from David. "Ma'am, you are not supposed to touch him. He could be dangerous or armed, and might-"

"He's my husband!" Candace shouted. "He'd never hurt me!"

The guard held her back while she struggled to get to David. "Let me go!" she wailed.

"Candace? Candace!" Olivia and Fernidia were streaking toward Candace, with Rapunzel trailing behind. Rapunzel looked at Nathan, Azalea, Dwayne, Liam, and Alex before looking angrily at the guard. "Let her go! She hasn't seen him in months!"

"Now, now." Alex tried to calm them. "Settle down."

Azalea looked at David, pity surging through her. "Why can't she talk to him?" The guard snapped his head over and looked at her with sharp eyes. She shrunk and took a step back.

Another guard came, and Candace was pushed back. David was now being held back by Liam and Nathan. Dwayne glared at the guards and after a tense silence, David stopped struggling. He looked at Candace with agonized eyes and Alex ushered them quickly to the bakery.

The bakery was right next to her and Dwayne's house. She caught Dwayne looking at it, and her feet ached to go near her home.

Azalea was puzzling over the way the guards had looked at them, and walked past the threshold. Warm smells and the small chatter going on inside made her homesick.

Azalea passed the threshold, and her mind was yanked back in time.

She struggles to stand up tall as a man with dark brown hair was handing her mother a plate holding six cupcakes.

"Thank you." Mother smiles at the man. His green eyes are warm.

"No problem, ma'am." He says earnestly. "David," he called, "are you and William going to see the lanterns today?"

_Lanterns?_ Azalea wonders, confused. She looks at Mother. "Can we go see too?"

Mother looks at the table where Dwayne, Jacob, and their parents wait absent-mindedly. "We have to get you back home, dear. Remember the little girl I told you I was taking care of?"

"Why can't she come see too?" Azalea suggests. Her small chest swells with pride to think of such an idea. "You can go get her, and she can see the lanterns with us and David."

"No, darling." Her mother's hand caresses her shoulder-length blond hair. Azalea giggles slightly at the touch. "But, hurry, okay?"

Mother hands her the tray. Azalea takes it and slowly wanders over to the table. Dwayne looks at her with big dark gray eyes. "Are they frosted?"

She looks at the icing. "Um, I think so."

Jacob scoots over for her. Their mother smiles at Azalea and takes a cupcake. She kisses her husband's cheek and hands it to him.

Azalea waits until Jacob and Dwayne take their cupcakes, and takes one for herself. Jacob and Dwayne's father look at Mother, his eyebrows scrunched up. "Eat quickly, we have to go home."

Jacob smiles and explains for Azalea. "I'm practicing throwing knives, Azal." He nudges her playfully. "I want to be a knight when I grow up!"

Dwayne looks at his twin and ruffles Jacob's dark brown hair that was similar to his own. "But Leader Starnes is still alive! He won't retire for a while, Jacob."

Jacob scowls. "He'll be long gone by the time I'm old enough." Jacob's normally sharp eyes soften as he blinks at Dwayne. "You're too serious."

Azalea's mother walks to the table and takes the last cupcake. "Knife throwing?" She looks at Dwayne and Jacob's mother. "No accidents?"

"None so far." She smiles.

Azalea finishes her cupcake and lags around, hoping that she could ask again. "Mother, can I-"

Mother cuts her off with a look that silences her. Azalea whimpers silently in her mind and tries to smile at Dwayne and Jacob as her Mother edges toward the door.

"Wait!" Their father calls. He stands up, his dark hair tousled. "Are you going to go see the lanterns?"

Mother shakes her head. "She wants to, but I have things to tend to at home, so I wouldn't be able to-"

"We can take her." He smiled. "Has she seen them yet?"

Azalea shakes her head, her eyes shining. _I can go see them!_

"What are they for?" Jacob is scooting out of the booth to let Dwayne out.

His mother looks at him with fondness in her eyes. Azalea's heart aches. Did her mother ever look at her like that? She glances at her, and sees her staring at Jacob.

"They're for the lost baby princess. They light the lanterns every day on her birthday." Jacob's mother says.

_So today is her birthday?_ Azalea blinks. What was it like being a princess? _I bet it's lovely! All the cupcakes you can eat._

She follows the Fernando family out to the lake after bidding her mother a cheerful goodbye. Azalea walks between Dwayne and Jacob, who seem to be fighting for her attention.

"Wait here," Jacob and Dwayne's mother stops them. She is barely visible in the gloom of a late sunset. "Your father is going to go get some lanterns."

Azalea gasps and freezes. She is going to have her own lantern? _Oh, I hope they find the princess!_ Azalea worries. _If I knew her, I'd be her friend. She must feel lonely all by herself._

"Azal," Dwayne asks her shyly as they sit down on the moist grass in front of the water; Jacob is throwing pebbles in the lake. "How old are you?"

"Mother says I'm seven." She says.

"Then I have known you for," Dwayne pauses. Jacob looks at them.

"Four years."

"What?" They both look at him.

Jacob smiles, though it looks strangely sinister in the darkness. "We met her when she was three."

Dwayne nods and Azalea settles down to wait.

Before long, tiny glowing lights are filling the guy and she is shaking with mild impatience.

"I've got them!" The Fernando Brothers' father runs to them, carrying three lanterns in his arms. "Here, quick!" He hands them out.

Azalea smiles as she holds her lantern. It is warm and she doesn't want to let it go.

"Let it go, Azalea." Dwayne's lantern is already floating.

Jacob is staring eagerly at his watching parents. "Do they make wishes come true?"

"I hope so, try it." His mother encourages him. All of their faces are glowing in the light of the lanterns.

Jacob whispers to his lantern, closing his dark gray eyes. He opens them after a long moment and listens. The world around them is alive with the barely audible sound of clapping and joyful yet weary cheers. Jacob's small hands release the lantern.

Azalea looks at everyone, whose eyes are now on her. She holds her breath, struggling to engrave the feel of the warm lantern to memory, and lets it go.

She watches it float to the sky with all the other lanterns, her eyes misting over. _I hope I get to do this again_. She thought sadly.

Dwayne's lantern is as high as the earlier ones, and beams brightly. Jacob's lantern is right next to hers as they float up. A wind shakes it away, and then another lantern is by hers. It has a barely visible green circle on it, and she looks around, eyeing the shore.

Far to the right, she glimpses a small family huddling.

She sits down again, looking at her lantern dancing with the one with the green circle.

A hand on her shoulder makes her jump.

"Hello," the voice says. It is a woman. She looks at the face and blinks. "Is that your lantern?"

She points up to her lantern. "Yes, ma'am. Who owns the one with the green circle?"

"My little boy. You might have met him." She says. Azalea smiles at the sound of the woman's voice. "Have you met a Nathan?"

Azalea shakes her head. "My name is Azalea." She says. "Has he met me somehow?"

Azalea squints to see the woman shaking her head.

Jacob's father wanders over to the woman. "Where's Dante? Is that old geezer planning to come?"

The woman laughs and shook her head. "No, he's out tonight."

Jacob's father winces. "Nothing new?"

"They're healing," the woman whispers. "Shush, my arms still hurt, Raymond."

Jacob's father sighs and looks at the woman with suddenly sharp eyes. "He needs to stop hitting you. I never knew he was like that. He must be stressed or something."

"It doesn't hurt-"

"You just said that your arms hurt," Raymond grumbles. "Let me walk you home, at least."

"I've got my boy and my little girl, I'll be fine." She grimaces in the gloom. "Don't you have Azalea to take home?"

Azalea glances back up at the sky to see her lantern and Nathan's higher up in the sky.

"Can I meet Nathan, ma'am?" She wants to see how he managed to get a green circle on the lantern.

"No, Azalea, dear." Jacob's father looks at her. "It's late; I need to get you home."

Azalea sighs quietly. "Okay." Jacob and Dwayne's mother sees the woman and walks over, starting to babble about the lanterns.

Walking past Jacob, Dwayne stops her. "Wait!"

She turns back to him. He opens his mouth to speak, "I think Jacob likes you."

"What?" Azalea shakes her head fiercely. "He hasn't said anything."

"You better scoop him up before he gets someone else." Dwayne ignores her. "I think he likes girls like you."

"I don't believe you," Azalea suddenly wants to leave. "I've got to go-"

"Yeah, you do." Dwayne's eyes are hard to see. "Night, Azal."

"Night, Dwayne." She calls to his twin. "Night, Jacob!"

As she follows their father back to her home, she thought back to the princess again.

_ I hope she's not as lonely as I am._

Their father opens the door and looks at her.

He speaks in a whisper, though his voice sounds like he was yelling, "Azalea, wake up!"

Azalea blinks, looking into her home. She walks past the threshold, looking back at their father with confusion. "I am awake," she says to him. Maybe he was tired and didn't know what he was saying. "Good night. I had a good time-"

"Azalea, wake up!"

She looks around, confused.

"Azalea, wake up!"

Hands shook her shoulders and as her senses slowly came back to her, she realized that her face, hair, and neck were wet. More water was poured on her, and she coughed. She opened her eyes and wiped water from her face. She was disoriented.

"Are you okay, darling?" Alex's voice was loud and she blinked hard, struggling to make the blurs around her turn into shapes. "You fainted dead away when we walked in."

Nathan's sweet and spicy smell wafted over her. "She's awake?"

"She just came to, yes." Alex answered. She looked at his dark brown eyes with a blank face.

"What happened?" She mumbled, realizing that she was propped up against a table. Dwayne was arguing with Diego, who had suddenly made an appearance.

"You're a bastard for whipping us the other day!" Dwayne was holding him up by his collar and had Diego pinned against a wall. "I ought to grab one of those whips and beat the hell out of you!"

Diego's eyes looked at her anxiously and he exclaimed, "Dwayne, she's all right! See?"

Dwayne froze, his mouth still open. He closed it and looked at her, anger in his eyes. The anger died away into relief and he was suddenly in front of her. He opened his mouth to speak again, but his face changed when he saw Nathan right next to her. He managed a tiny smile and then turned back to Diego, rage on his face. Diego grinned slyly at Dwayne, clearly inviting him to start up again.

Azalea turned her mind to the memory of being the bakery. She had almost seen Nathan! They must have only been a few yards away from each other! The lantern with the green circle on it was his, and the lanterns had been closer together than the two of them had been.

Nathan was stroking her wet hair. "Doll?"

She hadn't realized that she was staring off into space. "Mm?" Her voice slurred again.

Alex looked at the two of them, his eyes sad. "We'll take you off of the stuff, if you want. I only ordered it because you were upset." He scowled. "People around here only listen to me if a prisoner gets hurt. It's a shame."

Nathan looked at her with sweet green eyes, waiting for a response. "Well?" Liam was holding small teapots and she saw water sparkling on them.

"I don't mind being on it," Azalea had been on it so many times before. "I've had it a lot, so I'm kind of used to it."

"You're used to passionflower, betel nut, and valerian in one dose?" His eyes sharpened. "For what, if you mind me asking."

She looked away from both of them, Nathan especially, though his eyes begged her to look at him. "It was a long time ago," she murmured.

Alex shook his head, and then helped her to her feet. "Come on, I'll take you back. You need a nap." He looked at her with piercing eyes as Nathan hovered near her. "Used to it or not, the dose _this_ time was too high. I'm sure even Diego wouldn't be able to stand under it. I don't see how you can."

She looked at Nathan and smiled at him with her eyes. His face was grim as he looked at her, but he saluted her as she followed Alex back. Liam waved as he shut the door.

She was lost in memories, and stumbled after Alex as they were halfway to the prison.

She heard Dwayne's voice, high-pitched with youth, saying, "I think Jacob likes you."

She stumbled again, and bit her lip as Alex grabbed her arm to steady her. "Easy there," he looked at her blank face. He frowned. "We definitely need to get you off of that."

She remained silent as she tried not to trip. She wanted to sleep.


	48. Rocking (Happy 20,000 Views!)

K*H*W* (go to my profile :)

* * *

><p><span>Chapter Forty Eight<span>

I was hurrying to get dressed. I tripped –gasping hard when I did- as I fought to put on my shoes while trying to get to the door at the same time. I started pacing in the Dining Hall, feeling everyone's eyes on me but not caring. I fanned my cheeks frantically with my hands, hoping to cool the sweat on my forehead. Either the herbs Jacob had been –no more, no less- poisoning me with were still in my system and wreaking havoc, or the infection was getting worse.

I felt a stronger cold breeze behind me and dove toward it. Fernidia was fanning herself with vibrant cloth fan. I got on my knees and sat right in front of her. She looked at me with amusement and worry battling in her eyes.

"Please?" I smiled.

She sighed and fanned my face. I sighed as the breeze hit me. I woke up hot and sweating this morning after a strange dream of falling. The sensation made me jolt awake, and fear still lingered in my movements.

"You all right?" Olivia was peering at me from her plate of fruit. "The examination went fine."

I hadn't let them see my neck. "I'm just a bit hot."

Guy was watching from the other side of the room. He winked conspicuously at Olivia and she smiled back. I could tell that every woman in the room had no intention of hurtling themselves in their husbands' arms for a while yet.

Fernidia stopped fanning me, and I stood up, feeling a little cooler. "Maybe I need to go outside."

"Can I come?" Eugene was about to stand up.

"I won't fall," I said. I wasn't hurtling myself in Eugene's arms right away. "I'll probably walk in town or something."

Eugene nodded, his face somber, and sat back down. Michael looked at me, looked at Guy, and then burst into a tale of training Maximus with animation. Michael waved me away, smiling encouragingly. Michael was a good friend.

I sank onto a bench in town, looking at Azalea and Dwayne's house with sad eyes. No guards were around –in fact everyone seemed to be inside of their houses today. I peeped through windows from where I was, and saw sunlight shining into the houses on as families started to wake up and open their windows.

I stood up and edged to the house, hoping that no one would see me. I gently turned the knob and was stunned into speechlessness as the door opened.

The lamps and candles were out, and the gloom surrounded me as I stepped forward. I couldn't see the furniture around me, and hoped that Guy and the guards had moved everything back to where it had been before they started searching.

After finding one of the bedrooms, I moved toward one of the nightstands, looking at the windows that were bright with early afternoon light. I put my hand on the nightstand randomly and my fingers closed around a circle. I blinked and put the circle in the one pocket in my dress.

Turning around, almost pleased with the mystery object I found, I was walking toward the door, when a light came on behind me.

"Hello, Rapunzel."

I whirled to the bed, my heart so high up in my throat that I choked. I swallowed noisily and started shaking.

Jacob was perched on the bed, smiling at me while his hand stroked the tousled sheets. His eyes smoldered dangerously. "Lie down, come join me."

I took a shaky step back and froze as he climbed off the bed. His eyes followed my every move as I tried to move to the door. The candle he held was placed on the other nightstand. Jacob looked around.

"I would have had Azalea if it wasn't for my brother." Jacob frowned, his eyes still on me.

"What?" I gasped out, struggling not to run. Maybe if I was slow about it, he wouldn't hurt me.

"I'll explain it all one day." Jacob smiled at me.

I nodded numbly, trying hard to keep my wits. "One day," I repeated while my mind screamed in panic. _One day? I'm going to see him _again_?_

Jacob moved closer to me and stroked my hair. I shivered under his touch and backed away another step. I bumped into a chair and froze as Jacob's hand went to his pocket.

He smiled blandly at me and a cloth covered my nose and mouth. The smell made me dizzy. I tried to push him away, screams muffled by the cloth. Jacob's other hand held my neck in place, and somehow, we were on the floor. Jacob sat up with the cloth still pressed to my face, and watched my struggles weaken.

"Now," he spoke calmly, "I know what you're thinking. But I want you alive, darling. I always have."

Shock made me stop trying to sit up for a moment. I struggled to listen as he went on, "You won't black out, don't worry about that." He smiled again, more cruelly. "But you won't be able to move after I fix you up."

I was powerless as he tied my ankles together with rope that had been on the table –though it had been knocked over in our struggle. He tied each wrist to a table leg.

"One more thing," he said, taking in my immobile form with grinning eyes. "I brought this little trinket."

In his hands was a silver weapon. It slashed across my lip and I stifled a scream. I licked the long cut, wincing. Jacob grinned when he saw my panic, and washed the knife.

"How's my little flower doing?"

Did he mean me? I turned green.

He clarified. "It's infected, isn't it?"

I nodded the best I could and Jacob lifted my head up to put more of the ointment on. He must have come here after us and left it in the house.

Jacob stood up, looking around. "I don't know how long it will be until they find you," his voice was starting to buzz in and out. "But I'll tell you this," he bent down to whisper it to me.

His voice made me shudder. "A lot of people are going to be hurt soon." He laughed and stroked my hair. He moved the candle from the nightstand onto the table. He waved to me as he left, closing the door. He left it unlocked.

I felt sick as the floor seemed to bubble and slide under me. I groaned as the house rocked. The herbs were starting to take effect, and soon I'd be out of it.

I tried to sway with the rhythm of the house, and nearly vomited as the rocking increased. I struggled to think of myself as a baby and the house as my Mother's arms.

I thought to Eugene and wondered how late it was. I hoped Azalea and Nathan were okay. They seemed to be closer when I last saw them. I hadn't stared at them long enough to _really_ see anything, but I could see the way their bodies subconsciously moved toward each other. And how their gazes never strayed far from the others.

_I'm rocking in my Mother's arms._

I laughed as I remembered Guy's face, telling me that I couldn't go see my friends in jail. Diego had helped me then and I was grateful to him-

_I'm rocking in my Mother's arms._

I grimaced as the floor bounced and sway. I almost felt like I was falling off a cliff.

Off the waterfall.

_I'm rocking in my Mother's arms._

I tried to sit up, and the dizziness made black dots swirl before my eyes.

Was everyone all right? I had fallen off the waterfall and they were looking for me. I had to get away from Jacob, because Eugene was crying. He was crying because he couldn't find me. Olivia and Fernidia were crying too, and I had to get away. But I couldn't move because I was shackled to the wall. Maximus and Pascal were worrying about me. Eugene's crying, Eugene's crying-

_I'm rocking in my Mother's arms._

**Eugene's Point of View**

He was looking at Guy, who was talking. They were still in the Dining Hall. "I finally found the guard whose idea it was to drug them."

"What?" Eugene felt anger surge over him. So after all, no one had known whose idea it was? "Well, where has he been?"

"He was hiding away," Michael was eating toast. "I saw him there at the arrest, and I think he felt guilty about it. Can't blame him, I feel guilty, too."

Didn't they all?

Guy groaned. "I wish they would talk to us though."

Eugene mumbled something neutral. He had held Rapunzel yesterday. He was holding up. "They have a point."

Michael's blond head bobbed in agreement. "I just want to hold Fernidia's hand again."

Guy groaned again. "Here we go."

"She's selfless and so easy to read. I want to give her flowers every day just for hanging around the palace enough to meet me. She could have gone to the kingdom with the minister who did your wedding, Eugene. Her mother had said that she was always interested in planning weddings, and where the minister is, I'm sure they have _many_ more weddings there than we have here. Do you think she'd marry me? Is that even a possibility now?" Michael's brown eyes started turning red. "This whole thing would have never come between us if that bastard hadn't listened to that mystery man. I walk her to her room in the palace every night, and guess what she did one time? She invited me in and talked to me about her past. She told me about how she and Olivia competed for things, and-"

Guy stood up. "That's it. I'm getting you drunk, Michael."

Michael put his head down on the table and sighed. Eugene looked away politely as Michael wiped his eyes. Eugene felt his own eyes misting up as he thought back. "I've never seen her eat so much pineapple in my life."

Michael looked up at him with miserable dark brown eyes. "It wasn't really her though."

"Do you think she'd want some now?" Eugene asked, hope searing his veins.

Michael shrugged. "Wait for Guy to come back. He's right." Michael sighed in resignation. "We _need_ to get drunk."

Eugene settled more comfortably in his chair and thought about Rapunzel. Where was she now? He hoped she was sleeping or in the library with the Goldfinch Sisters and their mother. She was coming to the Dining Hall later and later in the morning now, and he wished the argument was over so he could make sure she got enough rest.

Guy came back holding three glasses. He quickly handed one to Eugene before he dropped the other two. Michael sat up and grabbed his cup gratefully.

"To being happy forever," Guy said, holding his cup up. Michael and Eugene did the same. They toasted, and they all drained their cups dry. Eugene felt liquid fire pushed through his body, and flushed with embarrassment.

They looked at each other with a sheepish look. Michael got up, the most daring of the three of them, and asked, "Refills?"

Eugene and Guy couldn't say 'yes' fast enough.

_Rapunzel's Point of View_

Jacob was standing over me again. A second one walked in through the door, and a third one came to me from the bed. Their eyes were red and glowed when they saw me. One of them had a limp Azalea over his shoulder. He set her down next to me, and I realized that her chest was heaving. Azalea pulled herself to a sitting position. She was trying to untie me, while blood dripped from her lips.

"I'll get you out, I'll get you out!" She chanted over and over. Her fingers struggled with the knots.

"Hurry, hurry!" I screamed. "They're right there!"

"I know, I know, I know!" Panic made her fingers clumsy. She managed to untie one knot and then one of the Jacobs picked her up and threw her against the wall. We both screamed.

"Azalea!" Was she okay? She struggled to sit up. Jacob loomed over her. Azalea started weakly crawling to me. I yanked my free arm from the rope and tried to untie my other arm. One of the Jacobs in front of me put his foot on my stomach. Azalea and I both froze; I heard a horrified gasp coming from her.

"I own both of you, I told you that." The three Jacobs said at once.

I untied my arm in a last desperate attempt and rolled over as Jacob's foot slammed down. He hit my tied legs and I screamed again. Azalea yanked me from the floor by my armpits, and then we were both struggling to get to the door. The floor bounced and rocked under our feet. I shuffled as quickly as I could past the furniture.

The Jacobs were suddenly in front of the door and they laughed at us as we quickly changed directions. The laugh echoed throughout the house.

Something silver flashed in my peripheral vision, and Azalea screamed. I looked at her and saw that a knife was wedged in her back. She gritted her teeth and pulled me along to one of the windows. It was the safest we could get from the Jacobs.

I glanced back at them and saw that they were holding knives. One of their hands flashed, and pain seared my leg. I shrieked and bit my already sliced lip. They laughed and began to throw more silver at us.

Azalea and I couldn't avoid them. Knives stabbed and cut into our skin. The pain was so intense that Azalea and I never stopped screaming.

I looked at the knife still in one of my legs, and yanked it out. The agony made black dots swim before my eyes again, but I tried to ignore it. Azalea had a knife of her own in her hand.

The room went deathly quiet. I looked over to see the Jacobs frozen. Azalea stared at me with grayish green eyes.

"I'm getting us out of this." She said firmly. Her grip on the knife tightens. Her face was pale and bloodless while blood leaked from wounds. "On three."

I knew what she meant. "It's not a dream, Azalea. If you kill me, and I kill you, we'll actually die."

"I'm a monster," her eyes dimmed. "I need to die."

I nodded, not in agreement but with consent. "On three," I echoed.

"One."

The house rocked and voices sounded around me.

"Two."

I looked into her eyes that were so much like mine. "Three."

Silver flashed in my eyes and I felt pain slice my throat. I slit at her neck, and as her eyes filled with terror, the glow in them died out. I sighed in overwhelming relief as we both fell to the floor. The Jacobs laughed at us, and the laugh made me snap my eyes open.

"Rapunzel?" Someone was looming over me. I screamed and tried to sit up. I needed to throw something-

"Rapunzel, it's me." A hand slapped my face. I groaned as I sat up.

I could hear the voices of Olivia, Fernidia, Anna, and Stephanie in the room. More voices filled the room, but I could only hear Anna's.

"Eugene's crying." I said as they untied me. "He's crying because he can't find me. Fernidia's crying, too, and Olivia. Anna-Beth is looking for Nathan, don't you see?"

The room was glowing with candles and I could see many faces looking at me. "Anna is looking for Nathan." I repeated. "Azalea is hiding, and Eugene's crying."

Arms hugged me and I heard Stephanie's voice. "He's not crying, Rapunzel."

"He is!" I insisted. "I fell off the waterfall, Eugene can't find me, and he's crying."

I was pushed through the open door and struggled to stay conscious. I didn't want to go back to sleep. I saw several figures up the path to the Palace, and saw one running to me. "Nathan's missing and Azalea is hiding. Dwayne's sick to his stomach and Jacob is plotting. Eugene's crying-"

Eugene caught me in his arms. "Shush, Blondie. You're delirious." His breath smelled of whiskey but his movements were steady.

I shook my head. "Jacob found me. I was looking for something. I wanted to see the house. It was dark, but Jacob found me."

Eugene's hazel eyes went wide and I dug in my pocket for the circle. I was dizzily relieved that Jacob hadn't searched me.

I held up the circle and gasped. I was holding my wedding ring. Eugene's eyes flashed shock, and then wooziness.

Was he drunk?

I struggled to hold him up and walk next to him as the kingdom jumped and danced under my feet. Halfway there, Guy and Michael met us and Michael caught Eugene as he stumbled. Guy and Michael let him lean on their shaking shoulders, and I realized that the three of them were wasted.

Was it my fault? Guilt made it harder for me not to sob as I watched them struggle to the palace, each man holding the other one up.


	49. Healed Scratches

Chapter Forty Nine _Azalea's Point of View_

She was half awake when Dwayne woke her up. "Azal?"

"Hm?" Azalea had had one more dose last night, and she could tell that it had been half of what her mother had given her. Her mother had given her less than what Alex had ordered –not that he had known, of course.

"I approve."

"Of what?" Was she really awake? The prison was quiet and snores filled the air was the only sound breaking the silence. The sky was bright with a moon nearly full, and the moonlight filled the prison.

"You and Nathan." Dwayne was hurriedly whispering now. "I can see that he is better for you than I am. Much better, and you know how I know? I can see it in your eyes and when you smile."

She managed a sleepy smile from her spot and crawled to the edge of the cell to peer through the iron bars. "I'm glad to hear it, Dwayne. What made you change your mind?"

"My extraordinary sense of sight, darling." Dwayne smiled at her, his teeth bright in the moonlight. "I can even see Nathan in your face right now."

Azalea blushed. "I'm sorry that it couldn't work out." Now she was sure she was sleeping.

"I'm not." Dwayne's face was calm. "You would have been much better with him, Azal."

Azalea nodded numbly, too in shock to really say anything else. She crawled back to her spot, and after a bit of shuffling to get comfortable, she slept more easily than she had in a while.

* * *

><p>Hands yanking her to her feet woke her up. She gasped and struggled to get her balance. Diego's hiss was in her ear. "We need to <em>talk<em>."

Panic filled Azalea and she fought to be quiet. Dwayne and Nathan were on their knees outside her cell. Alex was staring at them wide-eyed from where he was. Two wardens stood next to the doors and Azalea was dismayed to see ropes tying Dwayne and Nathan's hands together.

Diego was speaking. "You and your friends here, do you have any allies?" The other prisoners were watching from where they were with eyes like Alex's. It was early morning, and there was enough light to see her own dismay reflected in their eyes.

"No, what are you implying?" Dwayne asked sharply. Nathan's eyes looked vacant. Azalea looked at him and gasped.

"What have you done to him?" She struggled to get from Diego's grip.

Dwayne looked at her. "He's fine. Just dazed by the turn of events, I think."

Diego forced her to her knees to next to Dwayne. Diego began to tightly tie her wrists together and Azalea balked. "Are we being arrested?" She went pale.

"You will be if you don't tell us the truth!" Diego snapped. "Did you send someone to drug the princess, or not?"

The prisoners around them grumbled at the insolent way Diego was treating them.

Nathan came back to his senses. "Why would we do that when _we brought her back_?"

"Damn you, shut the hell up!" Diego yanked at the rope, looking at Nathan, and Azalea winced.

"Do you want us to answer or not?" Dwayne pointed out angrily. He glared openly at Diego.

"William, calm down." David warned from his cell. _William?_

"Do you want me to grab that whip again?" Diego looked at David with angry eyes.

"Let them answer, Diego." Alex's voice was chipped. "You've woken them up –Hell, you woke the whole prison up- and you won't let them answer?"

"We didn't do anything." Azalea said, trying to figure out whether the herbs were still having an effect on her. "Did they give her the stuff you gave me? Can I see her?"

The prison went quiet as Azalea stared desperately at Alex and Diego. The other two wardens who had been quiet, now murmured to each other. Nathan's eyes were glaring as Nathan shuffled uncomfortably.

"On one condition." Alex said. The wardens and Diego scowled, and Azalea saw that they hadn't been planning for her to see Rapunzel. "You take either me, or one of your friends with you. I can't let you all go because the guards would arrest you the moment they saw you."

Azalea paused. Liam spoke, "I can go, if she wants me to."

Dwayne and Nathan looked at her, and Azalea winced. _Liam's the most neutral person, next to David._ If she brought Nathan or Dwayne, they'd never get there.

"Liam can come." She said, sighing in relief as the wardens began to untie them. The prisoners sighed as well, and as Azalea pulled herself to her feet, she caught sympathetic glances.

Liam was let out of his cell and she led the way out of the prison. Alex ushered Dwayne and Nathan to where their duties were going to be for the day.

"You okay?" Liam asked her once they were in the elegant halls of the palace. The guards eyed them warily and Azalea sighed. She hated being treated like a criminal.

"Not really." She admitted. "I feel like I'm being punished for something I didn't do."

"I know how you feel then." Liam smiled, his blue-gray eyes struggling to be warm. "I was punished for stealing bread to feed my family, though it wasn't me. The bread showed up on my doorstep, and there was news of a bread thief in town, and you know the rest."

Azalea sighed. "Did they find him?"

"I don't think he was actually stealing." Liam said. "I knew David back then, and we had been starving from a bad drought, so I think David gave it to me."

"How did David end up in here then?" She asked him. They were almost to the room Rapunzel slept in.

"A man tried to force himself upon his wife when they had just married. David nearly killed him."

"So he's in jail? What about the man?"

Liam's face turned rueful. "I have no idea what he looks like, but Candace said he had dark hair and gray eyes. Much like Dwayne, I think." At her shocked gaze, he flustered. "I'd have to get her to tell me again, and to point him out. Don't panic or anything."

Azalea went quiet and the wheels turned around in her head. What had Jacob been doing trying to get to Candace? "David's the baker, right? Does he cook for someone special?"

"Only for the palace's balls," Liam said, putting his hands in the pockets of his dark gray uniform. "He delivers it to the king and queen himself, so I think he's very close to the princess. He could talk to her, if he wished. The king and queen always trust the bakers in the kingdom, and the bakers in turn trust them."

Azalea looked around the corner to see the room, so she hurried to the door and opened it.

"Hush, Rapunzel." Olivia was saying. "Let me see your neck."

"It's not like I was cut." Rapunzel was sobbing. Azalea could see in the gloom that Rapunzel was sitting up and scooting away from Olivia only to bump into Stephanie. "Leave me alone, please."

Fernidia was holding a wet cloth. "Rapunzel, the infection didn't come from out of the blue. Did Jacob hurt you somehow? Why didn't you say anything?"

Stephanie chipped in. "Did he swear you to secrecy? Was he the one at the house last night-"

"Leave me alone!" Rapunzel cried. "I was sleeping, and I'm still upset. Can I get some air? Just leave me alone." Rapunzel started wiping at her eyes.

Azalea nearly backed away when Fernidia saw her. "Who are you?"

Liam and Azalea took a step back as Fernidia went to the door. Her sharp blue eyes took in them in seconds. Fernidia turned her head back to the door. "Rapunzel, you have visitors."

Olivia and Stephanie looked at the pair of them standing by the door and hustled out the room. Olivia grabbed Fernidia's arm and tugged her out behind her. Fernidia gave them a hard look before closing the door.

Liam looked at Rapunzel and then Azalea. "Friendly," he noted.

Rapunzel was still shaking with sobs. "They are. . . They're just worried."

Azalea sat down next to Rapunzel on the bed. "Is the flower infected?" She could almost see the heat pulsating from Rapunzel.

Rapunzel nodded. "It's not so bad," she didn't meet their eyes. "I just sleep longer. I think the cloth stuff is still in my system, so that makes it worse."

"Passionflower, betel nut, and valerian." Azalea said. Rapunzel and Liam gazed at her in confusion. "Those are the herbs that he used."

Rapunzel's face went blank. "Right," she mumbled after a silence.

Liam wet a cloth to put on Rapunzel's face. "Why don't you walk around a bit?" he suggested.

"I just woke up." Rapunzel heaved herself off the bed. Liam waited by the extinguished fireplace while Azalea helped Rapunzel change in the bathroom. Rapunzel gasped when she saw the tears in the back of Azalea's shirt. "I heard about the whipping. Azalea looked at her as she went on, "Was it bad?"

Azalea trembled at the memory and shook her head. Rapunzel looked at her. "May I?"

Azalea nodded and pulled up her shirt. She felt Rapunzel gently touching the scratches. She heard her start mumbling words under her breath. "What are you saying?"

"My song." Azalea heard her murmur. "Are Dwayne and Nathan hurt like this? And David?" The scratches were being covered by something soft.

_Her hair,_ Azalea realized, and then nodded at Rapunzel's question. The scratches turned hot, and then settled to a soft simmer. Azalea breathed a sigh of relief even though the scratches hadn't been hurting. She had secretly been worrying about the scratches becoming infected.

"How about I go back with you and Liam?" Rapunzel gently pulled Azalea's shirt back down. "I can help Nathan, Dwayne, and David. Even Liam, if he is hurt."

Azalea felt shock flood over her, and then gratitude. "When?"

"Right now." Rapunzel was holding the door open.


	50. She Binds Things Together

Chapter Fifty _Azalea's Point of View_

Azalea followed Liam back, who was walking at an easy pace for Rapunzel, who waddled next to Azalea.

Azalea felt eyes on her and glanced at Rapunzel to find her staring. "What?" Azalea blushed.

"It's bad there, isn't it?" Rapunzel was frowning. Her hand cradled her stomach absent-mindedly. They were outside of town near the stables. Liam must have remembered that the stables were placed halfway between the palace and the prison, even though it was closer to the palace. The sun beamed down on them, and Azalea relished the warmth on her skin. She didn't want to ignore the warmth when in the next few days it could be raining.

"All prisons are bad." Azalea pointed out.

Rapunzel went quiet and looked around wearily. Azalea stared at her with alarm and new eyes. Her hair was much longer than when Azalea had last seen her. Though it was braided, Rapunzel's hair reached for her ankles. Her eyes were still dark, and Azalea wished she could figure out why. Rapunzel was waddling along with exhaustion in her movements, and Azalea worried whether the princess had worked herself too hard. "Liam, can we rest for a moment?"

Liam halted. "Everything okay?" He glanced back, his eyes grazing the foliage that crowded around the trail before it reached them.

Azalea nodded and Rapunzel shot her a grateful glance. She sank down onto one of the few benches. They were more than halfway there now. They had passed the stables a little more than a while ago.

"Sorry." Rapunzel's quiet voice made Azalea glance at her. "Being with-child is surprisingly difficult."

Liam walked up to them, looking at Rapunzel with worried eyes. "You alright? You're sweating."

Rapunzel wiped at her forehead. "I'm fine." Azalea scowled and looked at the trail. "How far are we?"

"Not far at all." Azalea said, then took Rapunzel's offered hand to pull her back to her feet. "Want to keep going?"

"I could probably take Maximus back." Rapunzel's eyes dimmed at the thought of leaving them. "Let's hurry, please."

When they finally got to the prisons, Rapunzel was sweating buckets. She sat down on the wood floor. Dwayne was washing one of the spare iron cells with a bucket of water. He looked at them when they entered. He took in Rapunzel's sweating form, and ran over to her. He dumped the remaining water over her head.

She started coughing. "Dwayne, I wasn't asleep!"

Dwayne didn't look repentant. "Sorry."

Azalea found a spare shirt on one of the corner and started wiping Rapunzel's wet skin dry. Rapunzel took the shirt and stood up to wring out her dress. She looked at Dwayne. "Do your scratches hurt?"

Dwayne had started refilling the bucket. He looked up with tranquil dark gray eyes. "Who wants to know?"

"This lucky princess does." Rapunzel went over to him as Nathan stormed through the Prison, cursing.

"What's wrong, Nat?" Dwayne edged away from Rapunzel. He eyed Rapunzel with wary eyes.

Nathan paced the Prison angrily. His hands were clenched in fists. He looked flustered and disgusted. "That's it, guys. I'm going to kill Diego. That son of a b- Damn." He whirled to them, staring at Dwayne. "The innuendoes he makes! They make me sick. I need to kill him."

Dwayne looked worried. "Nathan, are you all right?"

"Hell no!" Nathan sank down onto the floor next to Azalea, though he hadn't seen her. "He's saying nasty things."

Dwayne sighed. "Nathan, do you need some water? You're looking flushed."

Nathan groaned. "Dwayne, shut the _hell_ up."

Dwayne held the full bucket of water tightly. He scooted around Rapunzel and stood over Nathan. Nathan looked up with hazy eyes. Nathan mumbled something and put his head between his knees. Dwayne looked at Azalea. "He's been working in the sun all day."

Azalea remembered how hot the sun had been, and paled. "Is this his first time back inside?"

Dwayne nodded grimly and sighed. "So I'm the water boy? Fine." Dwayne dumped the water over Nathan's head. Azalea wiped away Nathan's wet hair and felt his skin. He was hot, but she could feel the heat simmering down.

"Again, please." She looked at Dwayne. Dwayne refilled the bucket and dumped more water on Nathan.

Nathan sighed and opened his eyes. He looked at Azalea and Rapunzel, then at Dwayne sheepishly. "They heard my rants?"

"Every word I'm afraid." Dwayne managed an embarrassed look. "Feeling better?"

"Much." Nathan squeezed out his shirt. "I think I was just peached."

Azalea smiled and looked at Rapunzel, who had leaned against the wall and rubbed her stomach. Rapunzel stood up straight and looked at Nathan and Dwayne. "How hurt is David?"

"Not really hurt-" Dwayne started to say.

"If you mean by not dying, he's fine." Nathan stood up. "He should be in his cell."

Azalea looked for spare keys and looked for David. She found him in the cell next to Dwayne's and unlocked it. He crawled out, looking happy to see her. He heaved himself to his feet to give her a hug.

She smiled and pulled him over to Rapunzel.

"Take off your shirts." Rapunzel ordered. Dwayne smirked and pulled his shirt off. Rapunzel went over to him and began to unbraid her hair at the ends. She put the golden tips on Dwayne's scratches before Azalea had a good look at them.

Rapunzel began mumbling under her breath and Azalea stared in amazement as Rapunzel's golden locks began to glow. Dwayne gasped as the healing glow swept through him, and Azalea saw his face relax. When Rapunzel was done, he stood up.

"That's amazing." He murmured. Nathan looked ill at ease while Rapunzel did David and Liam. When it was his turn, he sat down and sighed.

"It won't hurt." Rapunzel gently stroked his back for a moment. Nathan met her eyes and nodded wordlessly.

He was smiling when it was over, and walked to Azalea to kiss her hand. "Fancy meeting you here."

"I live here." Azalea pointed out teasingly.

David and Dwayne stifled laughter while Liam and Rapunzel snickered at their exchange.

Rapunzel looked at them and smiled brightly. "I need an escort."

Dwayne stood up straighter and his eyes smiled when he looked at Azalea. Azalea suddenly remembered the morning's events with a pang. Would he actually let them be together, or had she really been asleep?

Nathan held her hand as they followed Liam leading Rapunzel back to the palace. Liam began telling stories of David, who was holding a full bucket of water, and his misadventures as children which had Rapunzel laughing until she doubled over. Dwayne told David how to mold the red clay bricks into squares more quickly, and Nathan just held Azalea's hand.

_Rapunzel brings people together._ Azalea realized when she saw how they were all enjoying each other's company. Dwayne looked at Nathan and her holding hands and told Nathan what to do when he saw Diego again.

She laughed when she overheard Dwayne's statement:

"Tell Diego to grab one of those bricks and hit himself in the head with it."


	51. Tree Climbing

Chapter Fifty One **Nathan's Point of View**

He waved to the princess. "Bye, Rapunzel!" Azalea waved harder than he did. Her golden hair shook in the cold breeze and Nathan was tempted to brush back the stray strands. Alex had met them halfway to the palace, and accompanied them escorting Rapunzel back.

The with-child princess was waving back to Azalea, a peaceful smile on her face. Rapunzel had seemed so tired when Nathan had seen her in the prison. Now she looked a little happier and she walked with a light spring in her step. He tried not to recall how the blond hair braided had looked like a golden rope. He remembered how hard he tried not to cringe as he had a wild thought of her hair wrapping itself around his neck, and then he would be hanging in a tree-

"Well," Dwayne's voice caught his attention. The sunset air was cold while the sun beamed down weakly to chase the chill away. "I had no idea the scratches were still hurting until Rapunzel showed up."

Liam was grinning ear to ear. "She's a rare creature, that's for sure."

"Women aren't another species!" Alex rebuked them teasingly as they started back on the trail to the prisons.

Dwayne smirked. "Some understand them easier than others." His gray eyes smiled at Nathan's green ones. Nathan tipped an invisible hat to Dwayne and they both snickered.

Azalea clung to him as they followed the dirt trail. Nathan held onto her warm hand and relished how soft it felt. She hadn't resented getting Rapunzel back, though Nathan could only imagine the turmoil she had been in to get the Princess when she knew that she'd be arrested. She did her duties and never slacked; she had even helped him with his own duties. She never wavered, and he loved seeing the warm glow in her eyes whenever she looked at him. _Azalea is a rare creature as well_, he realized.

Alex looked at the two of them and though he smiled, it didn't reach his eyes. Nathan's good mood dissolved and he found himself dreading the work waiting for them. Liam sensed his mood plummet and lapsed into an animated tale of how Michael had nearly wrenched his shoulder from trying to teach Maximus to walk on command. Liam and Michael had been good friends throughout boyhood, and David had only met the mysterious Michael a year before Rapunzel had come back.

Azalea's eyes were unfocused as she daydreamed, and Nathan liked how pensive she looked. His little Doll named after a flower was daydreaming.

When they reached the prisons, it was after dark and most of the prisoners were in for the night. Nathan sighed as Alex locked them back in their cages.

"Stuck in here surrounded by innocent bastards should be a crime." Liam mused from his cell next to Dwayne.

"We're bastards?" Nathan exclaimed. "I think so highly of you, too, Liam." Liam smiled coyly at Nathan, who found himself returning the gesture.

David groaned. "Who would arrest who? All the wardens would be in jail, Liam."

"I'd arrest them." Alex said. He locked Azalea's cage. "No doubt about that. I should be the head warden around here."

"And you'd be bloody good." Nathan said, a drawl in his voice. He laid back on the iron floor and groaned. "First thing you should change are the accommodations."

Dwayne was already asleep. Nathan grinned when he peeked through the gap in the wall between his and Azalea's cell to see her passed out from exhaustion.

Alex bid them a quiet goodnight, and then the [rison was quiet. Nathan's mind drifted as he tried sink into a doze.

"And the minister said, 'Do you Wesley Keen take Abigail Lei to be your wife?" His mother is lying on the bed, rubbing her stomach. She smiles at him, and Nathan smiles back hesitantly.

"And what did he say?"

"He said 'yes', of course." Her green eyes sparkles with tears. "And then he swept me off my feet."

Nathan stares around the familiar room. He has been in here more than usual. His father being away on so many nights always left him feeling vulnerable, and he had been glad when his mother had started asking him to lie next to her until she fell asleep.

"Where is he now? Still working?" Nathan scoots closer to his mother, pulling the covers over her hand that was still on her stomach.

"I suppose so." She murmurs quietly. "He never tells me what the meetings are." Nathan recalls the conversation with a pang, remembering that he was only two when it happened. His younger sister, Anna-Beth, hasn't been born yet, and will be two years younger than him forever when she finally enters the world.

"Maybe he's throwing a surprise party for the princess's birthday." Nathan offers. Smiles form on both of their faces at the idea.

"Maybe he's waiting for cute little Anna-Beth to come out so you can buy her a lantern of her own." His mother teases. She wipes the tears away when Nathan had looked around the room.

"I don't have any money," Nathan grins, "and besides, I have an idea for my lantern."

"And what is that darling?" His mother sleepily combs his dark hair out with her fingers.

"I want a green circle on my lantern." Nathan tries to catch a glimpse of any purple splotches on her arms that he knew were there. "I'm going to paint it on with grinded up leaves."

"Oh really?" His mother pulls her arms back and he saw it: a fresh purple bruise by her elbow. "That will take years to do."

Nathan isn't discouraged. "It'll look different from all the other lanterns." Nathan smiles and sinks down on the pillows.

"You never made me leave the house!" His mother screams. Nathan had remembered the time when his mother and father had been arguing in the bakery his father's friend owned. They had to take over when the two men had to go to a meeting. Nathan had understood that his father's friend was waiting outside, and hadn't heard the harsh exchange between Nathan's parents

His mother had told him that it was an accident, but Nathan knew it wasn't. How could having a bad burn on your hands when you were handling dough be an accident? He had noticed him when he went to bed, after kissing her hands 'goodnight' trying to practice being a gentleman. She had kissed his forehead fondly, and that was when he had seen the burns.

"You're cheating on me!" His father roars at her. His hand goes flying across his mother's face and Nathan surges forward as his father called his mother names that Nathan doesn't want to remember.

"Leave her alone!" Nathan screams but is pushed back against the oven. He yelps as a searing pain hit the back of his shoulder and struggled to block it out.

"Nathan! Don't you hit him!" His mother knocks his father away to gently pull Nathan off the floor. Nathan winces when he saw new dark blisters forming on his mother's hands. She shrieks at his father accusingly, "You burned him!" Nathan had never been so glad that four year old little Anna-Beth was upstairs at a friend of his mother's house, sound asleep.

"He should know not to get in the middle of these things." His father is old, in his fifties, and has never tolerated nonsense. Nathan had worried about him when he had started coming of age, seeing his father have tantrums and angry fits that seemed to happen for no reason.

His father storms out the bakery his father's friend owned, mindful of the fact that it was after dark and all the customers had left. "I'm going to the meeting. Keep six year old Nathan here, or I'll finish what I've started." When his father looks back, Nathan saw fear in his eyes.

His mother ignores him and cooed to Nathan as he starts crying. Nathan worries his mother's hands gently as he keeps getting water from the well in the back. He dumps the water carelessly on her hands, yelling apologies when she screams from the coldness of it, and gets more water.

When she finally makes him stop to tend to his own burn, she has passed out from the angry red color his skin had been. He gets the pail and dumps the entire bucket over his head, gritting his teeth as the cold water flowed on the burn.

And then the memory that was still fresh in his mind.

"Is father home yet?" Nathan asks as they walk through the quiet town. "He's been gone for three days." He reminds her.

His mother holds his little sister's hand tightly as Anna-Beth stares at the guards. "He must have gone out of town this time."

His tiny ten year old body shakes. "Has he ever done that before?"

"No." Fear creeps into her voice.

When they reach the house, Nathan chases Anna-Beth into the backyard. She giggles as she totters forward on small eight year old legs. She dashes around the one tree in their backyard and smiles as he gained a few more yards.

He looks up at the tree branches and a shoe hits him in the face. He takes a step back and looked at the tree. The color drains from his face.

Anna-Beth's voice makes him remember how to move again.

"Mommy, something's wrong with Nathan!"

His mother comes running. "Nathan? What's wrong?"

He points at the tree and shields Anna's eyes.

His mother screams and the scream had haunted him in the coming nightmares. "Wesley!"

His father is hanging in the tree. _Lynched_, that would be the tern he would know when he turned eleven.

Anna is trying to see. "Did someone try to climb the tree with a rope, Mommy?"

Nathan can't move. He knows he was going to pass out, he knows it.

"Mommy, what's wrong with Nathan?" Fear creeps into her voice now. The warm darkness is coming. Nathan can feel his body pitch forward.

Anna shouts, "Nathan? Nathan!"

"Nathan!"

His eyes flew open as he sat up, gasping.

"What?" He put his face in his hands. He hadn't realized that he had fallen asleep.

"Are you okay?" He looked to find the voice and saw that Azalea was peeping through the gap to see his face. "You were muttering something about someone not climbing trees."

"Bad dream." Nathan groaned and wiped wetness from his eyes. He grimaced.

Azalea looked worried. "But are you okay now?"

Nathan nodded. "Go back to sleep."

When they went quiet, Nathan strained to hear Azalea breathe as she sunk into sleep. He rested his head against the wall, praying that sleep would hit him fast.


	52. Reminder

Chapter Fifty Two

I stifled a yawn as I left the washroom. Moving the chair from the door, I realized how sleepy I was. Olivia and Fernidia had finally found the flower on the back of my neck and put ointment on it that Stephanie ordered. My mother was waiting for me, and grabbed my hand. She led me to the Dining Hall, laughing as I stumbled.

"You really do need to sleep." She reprimanded me gently. Her green eyes were warm, and I realized with a pang that I missed seeing the green in my own eyes. "Do I need to have one of the harps-men sing to you at night, dear?"

I shook my head and looked at my hands. I missed Eugene more than I thought, and now it was keeping me up at night. Just hearing him call me 'Blondie' again-

"Where do you want to go after we eat?" Mother grabbed one of my hands and held it. I looked into her eyes, trying to find words. Where did I want to go? I felt almost restless as my body began to wake up.

"The library." It was a start. I spent most of my time there nowadays, and since I had seen my friends yesterday, my heart was lighter. "Please?"

"Of course." Mother smiled at me when we walked in the Dining Hall. "Full plate of pineapple?"

"Yes, thank you." I sat down on the side where most of the women were. Since I had been gone yesterday, the women and men were slowly blending together again. I swallowed hard when I thought of what it would be like to sit next to Eugene again. The only reason I wasn't sitting by him was to figure out who had decided the drug my rescuers, and until then, I was trying hard not to budge.

Eugene looked pale from where he was, nursing the remnants of the hangover. He was hardly ever drunk, and seemed more deeply affected by any hangovers than he let on. I smiled at him from the other side of the table. He smiled back, color flushing his face.

"Morning, Rapunzel." Anna-Beth said to me. She was eating a plate of strawberries and handed one to me. "I have an idea."

"What is it?" Fernidia was laying her head down on the table, looking miserable. Her eyes flickered over to where Michael was and then to Anna.

"We should go exploring!"

Olivia walked into the Dining Hall and looked over at the table where the men were sitting. I knew who she was looking for, and suddenly, I felt terrible. Here my friends were, avoiding their betrothed and crushes –referring to Fernidia, of course- because of me.

I got up and brushed past Mother as she walked to us with a plate of pineapple. "Where are you going?"

I sighed and looked at her with sad eyes. I opened the Dining Hall door and excused myself.

_Azalea's Point of View_

She looked at the meal in front of her and tried her hardest not to turn green. "What is this?" Azalea looked at Alex for a desperate explanation. On her plate looked like corn mush and bread.

"It is corn mush, and that rock-like thing is bread." Alex looked at her with amused brown eyes. "You've eaten it before."

"If she's been eating that, then I must be drunk." Dwayne scowled. He looked at his plate. "When the hell did we all start eating this?"

"You _were_ probably too tired to realize what you were eating, Dwayne." Liam said. He started nibbling on the roll.

Azalea took a delicate bite of the corn mush and nearly gagged. She coughed and swallowed convulsively. "It's not-"

Dwayne groaned. "Nathan, can you kill me?" He looked around the empty check-in. The check-in had a diner inside of it used for the prisoners, and the room was almost empty. "Seriously. You can say I attacked Diego or something." Diego was walking out, tipping an invisible hat to Alex.

Nathan smiled. "Eat some corn mush first."

Dwayne looked at Azalea eating her meal and groaned. He took a bite and swallowed.

For a minute, the entire table was silent as they watched his quiet reaction. Dwayne's lips quivered and his eyes widened. Then he looked at Alex. "Has Nathan killed me yet? It feels a lot like hell already."

David grinned and the silence went on again. Azalea stood up, smiling. "I ate every bite."

"Good for you, Doll!" Nathan clapped and his eyes sparkled. She smiled at then but then frowned. She looked at Dwayne.

"You're dead, Dwayne. This is hell."

Dwayne gave her thumbs up. "What a nice way to say 'welcome'."

Liam looked at David and started choking on his roll. Alex quickly hit him on the back and Liam gasped for air. "Bloody hell!"

Nathan stood up, his plate empty. "That does it, Alex. You have gained my vote for head warden, hell, I'm sure you gained everyone's vote."

Alex smiled drily and looked at Azalea as she put her plate on the counter. The warden in charge of the dining part of the check-in smiled at her and took the plate. She smiled back, her stomach unused the food in her stomach.

Nathan handed his plate in and sank back against the wall. "That was disgusting." He turned to the warden and said a greeting. The warden smiled at Nathan, and ignited a conversation. Dwayne, Liam, and David were still eating with Alex watching them.

Azalea opened the door to the check-in and looked out to the lobby when she had exchanged her freedom for red clay bricks. The feeling of being back in the very room where her freedom was stripped away was sickening. She turned green as she walked in it. "I'll be in here, guys."

She stood in the room, swaying as she felt loneliness and submissiveness flood over her. Azalea had to sink onto the floor with her head between her knees, trying to remember how to breathe.

"Azalea?" Alex was right next to her suddenly. "Do you feel sick?"

She shook her head and looked at Alex with tears flowing freely. "I lost my freedom in this room."

Alex's eyes dimmed and he sat down next to her. He patted her knee soothingly and said, "All prisoners hate coming back in this room. For one, they know what you did: they lost their freedom in here. And two, because they know that there will always be a new person in this room."

She nodded and sighed. "It's terrible."

"What is, darling?" Alex sighed as well and looked out the semi-darkness. It was late sunset, and she wasn't ready to go back to the Prison.

"You're right." Azalea said. "About how there will always be a new criminal around. It's terrible."

"That's just the way things are, Doll." Nathan walked into the room, holding up a pale Dwayne by his shoulder. "I'll tell you the story one day."

"What story? And how does it justify this?"

"One day, Doll." Nathan reminded her. Azalea stood up and looked at Dwayne with weariness.

"Time to go back," Alex heaved himself off the floor with a grunt. "Come on, y'all."

Azalea opened the door to the outside, and was face to face with Rapunzel.

"Rapunzel?" She stammered. The princess looked teary eyed and miserable. "Are you okay? Has something happened?" Her eyes quickly took in Rapunzel's stomach. "Is it the babies? Are they okay? Are _you_ okay? Tell me what's going on. Is it bad-"

Rapunzel held up her hand and Azalea stopped. Rapunzel looked at the group and them and whispered, "Can I walk back with you guys?"

"We're walking to the prisons, dear." Alex looked at Rapunzel and Azalea saw pity flash in his eyes before it vanished.

"I took Maximus, I'll ride along." Rapunzel disappeared from the door. Azalea walked out to see her heave herself up on Maximus.

_It's those kinds of things that have women miscarrying,_ Azalea worried. She walked alongside Maximus, who looked at her with a look that accused and questioned her at the same time. Pascal looked hostile, and Azalea resisted the urge to move away. Nathan and the others walked next to her or behind her in a clump of gray.

They were all quiet until they reached the prison. Alex locked the Nathan, Liam, Dwayne, and David up, but left Azalea's cell open. Some of the prisoners were still awake, but they were dozing off. Azalea sat in her cell, suddenly aware of how it looked. She turned to Rapunzel, hoping for a conversation that would distract her from gloomy surroundings.

"What's wrong?" She asked. Azalea watched the princess as tears poured down her face. Rapunzel started sobbing, trying to quiet the sobs, but failing. Azalea looked at Alex and saw him nod. She grabbed Rapunzel gently by the arm and pulled her to the outside of the prison.

"I just feel like crying," Rapunzel looked at Azalea with red eyes. "No one is talking to their husbands because of me."

"How can you be so sure that it's because of you?" Though Azalea had no idea what Rapunzel meant, she felt bad for the princess and rubbed her back soothingly. "Why can't they all just agree with you, Rapunzel?"

"Because," Rapunzel sobbed, "I know they do, but you should see the looks they give each other. It's like the men and the women are giving each other the cold shoulder."

Azalea felt sympathy for her. "What will make it better? To where everyone will talk to each other again?"

"I don't know!" Rapunzel cried, putting her head into her hands. "I think if someone gave in, maybe that would help, but everyone's so stubborn."

Azalea didn't ask the unspoken question, _Why can't you give in then?_ Rapunzel was aching over the situation right now, and Azalea couldn't bear to hurt her feelings. Her respect for Rapunzel's bravery made Azalea think of her as a friend.

For a while, they just sat there in silence. The waning moon was shining bright, lighting up the gloom around them. They were sitting on the grass, and Azalea could see every grass blade outlined by the moonlight.

"Everything will be fine," Rapunzel murmured, rubbing her stomach. Azalea wanted to ask her what she meant, but ignored the impulse.

"Have you felt a kick yet?"

Rapunzel shook her blond head. "Not yet; I think it's too early. I want Eugene to be there when it happens." She smiled weakly at the thought.

Azalea nodded and smiled. What if she and Nathan were together? Would he want her to carry his child? How many times would the baby kick?

"Rapunzel, Azalea," Alex's voice made them turn around to the door. She could see him, but only barely. "Eugene's here for you, Rapunzel. He's on the other side."

Rapunzel clambered to her feet and looked at Azalea. "I'll see you soon?"

Azalea tried to smile for her benefit. "I'll be here."

Rapunzel followed Alex inside to the other door. Azalea waited for the door to close, and then stifled a sob. The loneliness from being in the check-in flooded over her again, and she was in tears when Alex came back for her to lock up for the night.


	53. Trial Announcement Day

Chapter Fifty Three _Azalea's Point of View_

"Azalea, wake up!" A hand gently slapped her face and she muttered a complaint.

"I got it." Nathan's voice was close, and cut off Alex's as he tried to wake her up again. Lips kissed her forehead and her eyes opened. "Mornin'." Nathan's cool breath hit her cheek.

She sat up and groaned. "I was comfortable this time!"

Dwayne and Liam's laughter had her smiling. Alex pulled her to her feet and she could suddenly see how early it was. It was hardly dawn. When she walked out the cell, the prison was empty and their voices seemed unnaturally loud.

"It's trial day!" Diego's voice sounded next to her.

For a moment, Azalea went numb and the floor rushed up to her face. Trial day. She was going to be sentenced today. She might never see Rapunzel again. She and Nathan would never be together if the worse happened to either one of them. What if one of them was hanged? Seeing Dwayne hanging from a tree would be seared in her head.

Or what if instead of hanging, they would be used at the guillotine? The device was used to cut off heads of criminals, and though it was recently introduced, what if the minister commanded it to be their punishment? The thought of seeing Liam or David's head being removed from their bodies made her feel sick. What if the stock was used again? Seeing Nathan whipped-

"Azalea!"

She struggled to summon her senses, realizing that she was propped up against a wall. They were staring at her worriedly and Dwayne was holding a bucket of water. Azalea swallowed hard, realizing that her face was cold with fear and apprehension.

"Trial day?" She looked at Diego with horrified eyes. "I-I can't go."

Diego looked down at her and blinked. "What?"

Alex scowled and his eyes were angry. "Diego, it is trial _announcement_ day. You startled her to a faint. I ought to-"

"No, no." Nathan stared at Diego with open hostility now. "_I'll_ beat the hell out of him."

"You wish, Nathan."

"I do in fact, one day soon too. With a sword." Nathan smiled cockily but his eyes were as angry as Alex's.

Azalea heaved herself to her feet, feeling her face pale when light-headedness hit her like a wave. She staggered to the door, and wanted to vomit. Walking was hard and suddenly difficult. She remembered the time she just woke up after a long period of sleeping and realized that it was natural. This meant the stuff was nearly out of her system, or that it had been reintroduced to her body.

"Steady there," Dwayne said from behind her. She wandered over to the bush and crouched there, expecting to start heaving.

"Oh," she moaned. She stood up shakily again, looking at her audience. "If I'm on that stuff again, I'm going to grab a whip and beat hell out of all of you."

Liam shuddered. "Who did it? She's furious."

Alex looked at them and sighed. "You were upset last night."

"I was almost off of it though!" Azalea winced as the world swirled around her. "Now I'm-"

She turned back to the bushes just in time and moaned. "Go away, please." _I would die if any one of them saw me likes this._

Azalea didn't turn back around to see whether or not they had left. She clutched her churning stomach and winced. When she finally stopped heaving, she sat up, sweat on her forehead. The dizziness she felt in every movement was sickening.

Azalea hobbled back to her feet, fighting the waves of disorientation, and looked behind her. One hand was still on her stomach and her other hand pushed her off the ground. She held her stomach with both hands, still pale. Nathan was still watching her, his green eyes tortured. He walked over to her, moving faster when she started backing away.

"What is it?" She asked him, wishing that she could rinse her mouth.

Nathan's eyes were very soft suddenly, and he looked at where her hands were. "I can just see you with-child having morning sickness." He stroked her damp cheek.

Azalea felt herself grow warm, and then her blood chilled. "The trial announcement is today."

"Why would they want to announce what everyone know is coming?" Nathan wondered out loud. He started walking in a certain direction unknown to her. She followed him, confused.

"Where are we going?"

"Alex told me to meet him back at the check-in." He said, looking at her.

When they reached the check-in, Azalea was fairly stable on her feet. Alex greeted her at the door and handed her some fabric. "Here."

She looked at the fabric to see the white dress with the pink blossoms on it. She gazed at Alex in shock while he went on, "Change into it. Quickly, we're supposed to be in the square in five minutes and we're twenty minutes away by horse. It's been washed."

She nodded gratefully at him, stunned and joyful at seeing another color other than the varying shades of gray that had been surrounding her for weeks. She changed in one of the washrooms and looked at her hair. She wet it with water from a filled basin and combed it out with her fingers.

When she walked out the room, she saw Nathan and Dwayne in their outfits from when they were checked in. Liam was wearing a beige vest with cream sleeves, dark brown pants, and shiny black boots. David was wearing something a yellow vest with light gray sleeves, gray sleeves and dark brown boots.

Nathan was staring at David's attire. "Aren't those mine?"

David shrugged. "I wore this the day I was arrested."

"Hurry, hurry." Alex said harshly. "We can't be late to this; they'd think you're all deserting the announcement."

Dwayne scolded. "Like I care what they think."

"You don't want to get hung do you?"

Dwayne gave a neutral response. "I value my life very much no matter how short."

Azalea hurried out of the check-in, gasping when she was yanked up and placed on a saddle. Diego was behind her and said, "Mint, gallop!" He nudged her with his boots –Azalea could assume the boots had the spikes on them that prodded horses into motion- because Mint started hurtling herself forward. Dark storm clouds blocked the sun from view.

Azalea could hear other horses behind her and as they raced to the announcement, she tried to keep her courage.

Silence greeted them when they got to the square. Hearing Alex's relieved grunt made her realize how fast they had been going. She scooted off of Mint, patting her neck gently. A pang shook her and she realized that she missed working in the Stables. She had only worked there a few days because of the weather had turned warm. When it rained, she'd be working in the Stables. When it was warm, it was back to the bricks.

Whispers sounded around them and wardens clustered around her. Azalea could see civilians and prisoners in their own crowds that were separated. The king, queen, Rapunzel, and Eugene were watching at the head of the two crowds. Rapunzel looked elegant in a creamy pink gown, but the crowd staring at Azalea made her gulped and she felt herself go pale again.

_It's only the announcement, it's only the announcement,_ she tried to soothe her impulse to run away. _I'm not being sentenced yet._

A man in a vibrant purple robe with long sleeves looked at them and Azalea stifled a wince at the barely concealed hostility in his eyes.

"Azalea Salta Gothel Dixon, Nathan Valor Lei Keen, Dwayne Terco Pinkerton Fernando, Liam Pulcro Kilter, and David Leal Stooli." The minister addressed them. Azalea tried hard not to tremble as she felt the gazes of the crowd drift over her and her friends then settle back on her.

"Do the six of you swear that you will not cause any trouble within the next few months until the trial starts?" The minister demanded.

Azalea felt a rain drop on her forehead. "Yes," they all said. She prayed her voice didn't tremble as much as she thought.

The minister nodded in consent. "The trial will be before the end of spring, and the sentencing will commence on the first day. You are dismissed."

Azalea looked around in utter amazement as the crowd dissolved. Many of the civilians shot her angry looks and Guy was staring at her with mild contempt. She looked for Rapunzel and found her staring at her. Azalea winced and opened her mouth to say something but Eugene grabbed her by the shoulder. Rapunzel looked at him and back at Azalea. She smiled weakly at Azalea and walked toward the [alace.

"That wasn't so bad." Liam was shaking when they got back to the check-in.

Azalea sank down onto one of the chairs and realized how long the next few months were going to be. She groaned, "I'm going to die."

Alex looked at her from waving Diego to watch the prisoners start their duties. "Azalea, no, you're not going to die."

She looked at him with tear-filled eyes. "They're going to sentence me to die, Alex. I saw it in their eyes. They want me dead."

Nathan tried to interrupt but Azalea went on. "The entire town practically sentenced me to death the moment we walked into view. So many people, Alex, and most of them have known me since I was barely talking."

She put her head on onto the table in front of her and tried to stifle her sobs. Nathan rubbed her back soothingly, "Doll, if you get anywhere near a stock, guillotine, or rope, I'm going to beat the hell out of the bastard who ordered it."

She couldn't bring herself to smile and tried to thank Nathan with her bloodshot eyes. Liam and David murmured consoling words and hesitantly followed Dwayne and Alex back where Diego was going to be.

"You two take a break," Alex told them. He led the way out, and Azalea watched them leave.

"They hate tears, don't they?" Azalea sobbed. "I drove them away."

"You didn't drive me away, Doll." Nathan said. "Neither did you drive them away. They're just giving you space."

Azalea looked at him as he sat down next to her.

Nathan's eyes were smoldering a warm green fire when they looked at her. "My little Doll," he cooed, stroking her damp hair. "My little Doll with her wet hair and good looks."

Azalea smiled a watery smile and kissed his hand. "Thanks, Nat."

"No problem." He smiled and she felt a little bit of heavy dread leave her shoulders. She leaned her head on his shoulder, absently tracing his jawline with her finger.

"It's raining," Azalea said, looking through the windows to find it pouring. "They probably went to the stables."

"I want it to snow; there's always a blizzard or two right before spring." Nathan said, changing the subject almost seamlessly. "I could show you my wonderful gliding moves if the lake froze over."

"So you'd catch me then, if I fell?" Azalea asked.

"I'd catch you and never let you go." Nathan looked down at her. She snuggled closer to him and sighed happily.

"What are we going to do; it's raining."

Nathan smiled at her. "What?" She asked. Did he have an idea of some kind?

"Have you ever been kissed in the rain?"

She shook her head.

"Have you ever ballroom danced in the middle of a thunderstorm?"

"No." She looked at him through her eyelashes.

"Good; me neither to both of those. Now we have things to do." Nathan got up and grabbed her hand to pull her to the door. "And afterwards, we're going to practice serenading."

"But I sing terribly!" She protested. Warmth shot through her veins at his touch.

"Don't talk about me that way!" Nathan teased. "Speak for yourself instead of me, Azalea."

"But I do!"

"You'll sound like an angel to me, Doll."


	54. Romance in the Rain

Chapter Fifty Four _Azalea's Point of View_

She looked up at Nathan while he stared around. The rain sprayed them with cold water and made the world around them seem darker because of the gray clouds blocking the sun. They were soaked to the skin, and Azalea attempted to cover herself with her shoulders.

"Nathan. . ." She struggled to grab his attention.

He looked at her, then at where her arms were. Realization dawned on him in a second. "Right." He hurried to the check-in, which was merely yards from them, and opened the door. Nathan ducked in and reappeared a few minutes later, his cheeks blazing as brightly as hers. He pulled the shirt gently over her head and waited –looking away- while she adjusted it.

"Better?" He peered at her from the corner of his green eyes. She smiled at him and he turned around fully. Nathan looked her up and down in a charming way. "Gray suits you."

"I prefer to wear it as a choice of color, and not a requirement." Azalea said, shivering as the cold wind shook more rainwater on them. The soaked treetops swayed in the heavy breeze, and she could swear that every single bird was gone.

"Amen." Nathan pointed out. He grabbed her hand with his warm one, kissing it. He bowed, still holding it.

He looked back up to her, and Azalea gasped. His eyes smoldered more than Eugene's 'smolder' face that he had used on her a few times when she was crying for no reason –that he knew- to cheer her up. Nathan's green eyes were somehow dancing fire. "May I have this dance, fair maiden?"

She grinned and did a hasty courtesy. "You may, shining knight." He stood up straight, his eyes smoldering brighter, and put one hand on her waist. She put both hands on her shoulders, and they began to waltz.

"You dance well," Nathan teased her, his breath warming the chill on her ear. He took a step back and did a twirl. She stifled a laugh and did a twirl of her own. Nathan reached into his wet pants pocket and pulled out a silver object.

Azalea froze, her heart in her throat. Was it-

He put it to his lips, his eyebrows scrunching down at her stricken expression- and blew a musical tune. She smiled in relief while she really felt like fainting, and did a slow twirl.

"Faster, Doll." Nathan coaxed her from where he stood. He took jaunty steps to her, smiling when she picked up speed. She twirled and took a step toward him, only to whirl around and swish her hips. Nathan was full out laughing when she did it again. He stopped to clap his hands and was grinning ear to ear. Every time she stepped back from him, he automatically took a few steps forward. Within the first few times she'd tricked him, they were moving away from the check-in. She narrowly avoided trees and brambles as she tricked him.

Azalea was sure he was as caught up in their game as she was, and neither looked at where they were going. She took three steps to him the third time and leaned her face up to his like she was going to kiss him. Nathan leaned in, and then Azalea leaped away, sticking her tongue out at him.

Nathan's face was frozen and she burst out laughing at his face. She smiled as the rain began to lighten, and wrung out her gray shirt. She looked down at the white gown of the dress, yanking it up by the hem to keep it off the muddy ground. Their shoes, however, would be ruined.

"Doll, don't move."

Azalea froze, looking back at Nathan with her eyes. "What is it?" She whispered.

"I don't know, but you're stepping on. . ." Nathan glanced down at her right foot, and Azalea raised it. She looked down as well and saw that she was stepping on a yellow flower, though it seemed pale gray in the heavy rain.

She looked around to see more of the yellow-gray flowers. Azalea gasped as she realized that they were in a rather large grassy clearing. The trees were pressed back, and circled the clearing like a fence. The flowers dotted the clearing in large clumps, though lone flowers were all over. The flowers made her heart beat slower and she inhaled, almost expecting to smell a sweet scent filling the air.

The innocence of the flowers. Her thoughts almost felt childlike as she took small steps among the flowers. She could hear faint whispers from the wind, though the heavy gusts barely seemed to stir a hair from her blond head. Her hands were shaking slightly as she walked among the flowers. She bent down to look at one more closely and saw that the flowers were indeed yellow, but the color was brighter.

Almost gold.

Azalea gently touched the petals, and a warmth shot through her that made her heart swell with familiarity. She couldn't know flowers like she knew a person, yet the flowers seemed so familiar. Had she been here before?

She looked back at Nathan to find him staring at her. "What is it?" All her senses rushed back to her and she realized that she felt almost foolish.

"Nothing, doll." His green eyes clouded over, but the heat was still there. "The flowers look pretty next to your skin."

"They are pretty, aren't they?" Azalea held the petal gently, not wanting to yank it out. Just to hold it, and feel safe.

"You seem so pale though. Almost like you're glowing silver or something," Nathan racked his hand through his black hair, and smiled brightly when he saw that the red clay was gone. He peered at her more closely. "Your eyes seem more gray."

"Silver, huh?" Azalea asked absently. She stood up straight to weave around the clumps, tempted to touch one again, but kept her hands to her sides.

"Like the moon, Doll." Nathan looked at her from where he was.

"Don't you want to walk among them?" Azalea asked, then froze. She had made it sound like the flowers were people. They weren't.

"No, those seem special to you." Nathan mumbled, looking down at his soggy shoes.

Azalea walked over to him and stood on her tip-toes to kiss him. His eyes rolled back, the green disappearing, and he staggered a step backwards.

"Nathan?"

"You're so warm," he shook his head as if he was trying to clear it.

Azalea stared at him. "Are you all right?" She felt worried. "Do you want to go in?"

Nathan started to shake his head, and then nodded vigorously. "If you're sure?"

"Positive." She held it as they began to cut back through the woods. When they reached the check-in, it had finally stopped raining. She tried to hold in her anxious thoughts when she saw Nathan's face when he grabbed her hand. He looked dizzy and as they walked back, he seemed unsteady.

When they had left the flowers behind, his feet grew steadier and once they got inside, he seemed back to his old self.

"I guess we'll have to do serenading tomorrow," he said, "or whenever we get a chance."

Azalea nodded as she grabbed a new gray outfit from the folded pile on the desks, and walked to the dressing room. She changed and looked back at Nathan, who was still in the lobby. He had changed already.

He kissed her fingertips and smiled.

"Are you okay from the flowers?" Azalea blurted out. He looked at her with his green eyes and nodded.

"Maybe we were outside too long." Azalea sneezed when he spoke, and he smiled as he pulled her into his warm arms.

"It was worth it." She said.

She heard him murmur something quiet. She thought she caught the words, 'tell' and 'know'.

"What?" She asked again, almost getting ready to pull away. Nathan held her tighter and said it louder.

"I said it certainly was."

Azalea looked at his eyes, and dismissed it. She'd ask him later what he truly meant.


	55. Recurring Nightmare

Chapter Fifty Five **Eugene's Point of View**

Eugene looked at Olivia from where she was sitting, struggling to eat dinner. Michael was staring at Fernidia with such a longing in his eyes, Eugene was about to give up for Michael's sake. The guy was _dying_ to hold Fernidia's hand.

"Whiskey?" Guy handed him a cup. Eugene raised it to take a sip, but then stopped. He was still mildly hung-over; he could feel it in the brief shaking of his hands. He shook his head, and when Guy reached for it, Eugene took a sip anyways. The liquid burned his throat and muddled his thoughts for a moment.

"I'm turning in." Eugene stood up and patted Michael on the back. Michael jumped from the touch, and then his hearing caught up with him. He mumbled a 'goodnight', and Eugene nodded at Guy. He had been staring at Olivia the whole time they had been sitting here for dinner, and had been periodically taking deep gulps of whiskey. The king and queen were sitting next to each other again, and Eugene hoped that one of them, if not both, would call off the madness so he could be next to Rapunzel again.

He was dying, too. It was excruciating to see Rapunzel every day, and then not be able to sit by her. One day he was going to dive across the table and kiss her. And then hold her belly and tell the babies inside that he loved them.

To do that would be so fulfilling. He could be stabbed the very next second and he would have died smiling.

Eugene peeked in the room Rapunzel was sleeping in. She had forgotten to put the chair back up, and he smiled at her forgetfulness. Then he frowned. She must have forgotten because she was so tired. He needed to watch her more.

Rapunzel's chest heaved with deep breaths and he believed that she was sleeping so deeply that he could lie down beside her and she wouldn't stir. He was tempted to try it, but closed the door quietly behind him.

He walked to one of the spare rooms that had been his room for a while, and climbed on the bed. He kicked his boots off and laid staring up at the ceiling.

What would the children look like? What would their names be? How was Rapunzel really sleeping? Was she having nightmares and couldn't sleep? Did he need to go back in and check on her?

Eugene tried to slow down the questions in his mind, but they only accelerated. He took deep breaths and felt his body calm down. He laid there, staring up at the ceiling. He blinked.

He blinked his eyes open again and froze as he realizes where he was. He was about to be hanged. He could see the machine through the windows he was passing.

"What's going on?" His voice sounded strange with frayed nerves. His tone was familiar, but he couldn't place it. . .

"What do you mean 'what's going on?' big guy?" The guard holding his arms growled. Eugene struggled, trying to squirm from their grip, but the guards held him tightly on both sides.

"You stole the crown, and you're being hanged for it." The guard on his left rolled his eyes. "Thieves will forever lie."

"I'm not lying. The crown is back in the guarding room, where it has been for the past few months." Eugene felt sweat beads pop on his forehead. "If you can turn me loose, I'll explain everything."

The guards frowned. "Like I said, thieves will forever lie."

"But dead men tell no tales," the guard on his right steered him toward the door. Eugene tried to pull himself free but couldn't.

The cold air blasted him and he gasped at the chill. He realized deep in the back of his mind that Rapunzel was chained up by Mother Gothel, and struggles harder. The guards pushed him toward the machine and one pulled the noose over his head. Eugene took a deep look at the guards and nearly yelled. He knew who they were: Guy Starnes and Michael Dawson.

Eugene panicked. "Let me explain! Please!"

The minister who had done their wedding and the trial announcement looked at him. "Any last words?" Can he not hear him trying to explain?

"It's all a mistake! You can't hang me. Rapun-Rapunzel needs help!" He tried to struggle free but the noose was tight around his neck.

The minister looked coldly at the guard holding the lever and nodded. In that instant, Eugene realized who the guard is: Nathan Keen.

The wood beneath his feet disappeared, and as Eugene's body fell, he thought,

_I can't protect Rapunzel anymore._

Then he was being yanked off the bed by Guy. "It's Rapunzel, it's Rapunzel!"

Eugene struggled to his feet as the urgency of Guy's tone jolted him awake. "What's wrong? What's happening?"

Guy was running out the door, and Eugene caught the words, 'the babies'. Eugene's feet felt like wings as he hurried after him. He could hear screams, most of them belonging to one voice. Eugene's heart was in his throat. The long hallways suddenly seemed miles in length, and he could hear Olivia barking orders. Where is her sister? Where are the king and queen? Are they with Rapunzel, coaxing her through it?

Michael caught them at a corner and grabbed his arm to yank him down another long hallway. "Short cut," he gasped to him.

Eugene tried to figure out what was going on. "Is she-"

"Yes," Michael's voice was somehow louder than the screams echoing in the hall. "It's bad, Eugene."

"She's only six months!" Eugene panted. "They'll be three months early!"

Guy was right in front of them. "What's going wrong, Michael?"

Michael looked at Guy sharply and then back at Eugene. Eugene felt more sweat pool on his forehead and wiped at it. Could he run any faster? He tried to pick up the pace, even though he was running like he was running from Maximus that day Maximus had chased him to Rapunzel's tower.

"She's weak, Eugene."

Eugene almost stopped running.

'She's weak, Eugene', what did that mean? Were she and the babies dying? Eugene hurried down the hall, and around the corner. Rapunzel's room was right in front of him. Any second he will be inside and she'd be safe-

He hit the floor with a thud, the impact going all the way up to his skull. He laid winded, his mind still panicking and yelling at him to get back up while his body was numb and unable to move.

Hands pulled him back to his feet, but everything was in slow motion. When he pushed through the door, time sped up again.

However, his entire world froze completely when he steps into the room.

Azalea was clutching Rapunzel's hand, her knuckles white. She had tears streaming down her face and her skin seemed pale like the moon. Her eyes look at Eugene and he saw a strange yet deep sadness in them that scared him.

He walked to Rapunzel's side, standing next to Azalea who was kneeling, and looked at his wife's face. Her eyes were finally green, but they were blank and glassy. They stared at him, and for a moment, he thought recognition made the emerald pools boil with life, but then it was gone.

A choking sound escaped his lips and he turned to look at the two bundles on the bed. They both were pink. He tried to smile and as he stood to pick them up, lightheadedness flooded his mind. He scooped them up quickly, praying he won't faint, and held them close. Are they-

They were cold.

He had lost all three of them.

"No," He moaned. "No, no." He looked at Azalea and starts begging. "Tell me, please. What happened?" His throat felt like it was about to close up.

Azalea stood up shakily. "I-I don't know what happened. One minute, the babies were out. And then the next, she was t-telling me g-goodbye." She broke into sobs.

Eugene barely handed the babies to her before he dropped to his knees. He burst into tears and he couldn't breathe. Agony at losing Rapunzel seared him deeply. The pain was so bad that he tried to go numb.

"She told me something else too." Azalea was suddenly standing over him. He peered up at her with tear filled eyes, not wanting to hear anything else.

"She told me to tell you to wake up." Azalea's greenish gray eyes suddenly start to glow. Her hair and skin began to glow silver.

He felt no will to move. "Azalea-"

"Wake up!"

He opened his eyes to see Guy staring worriedly at his face. He sat up, rubbing his eyes and finding wetness. He looked down and took deep breaths and then demanded, "Where's Rapunzel?"

"Sleeping." Guy and Michael were standing at his bed side. Michael's hair looked tousled and Guy had deep purple circles under his eyes.

"Sleeping? Not dead?" Eugene climbed off the bed, though exhaustion slowed him.

Michael steadied him. "She's fine, Eugene. Sleeping peacefully."

Eugene felt relief blossom in him like a flower. "You're sure?"

Guy nodded and frowned. "What's wrong with you?"

"I just had the worst nightmare of my entire life." It was the nightmare that had been plaguing him since Rapunzel and he had been together after Michael's hypnotism had worked. Some details had been made clear since then. The blond haired beauty holding Rapunzel's hand was Azalea. Nathan Keen was the guard who held the lever, and the guards were his friends: Guy and Michael. But they were details he would have rather not have known.

"Rapunzel died, didn't she?" Michael asked. His brown eyes suddenly clouded and became unreadable.

Eugene nodded, shocked. "Have you two been having nightmares?"

Guy nodded vigorously, his blond hair bobbing. "I've dreamed that I broke an arm somehow, and that Olivia was crying." He glanced at Michael then looked back at Eugene.

"I dreamed that I was trying to kill someone, and _everyone_ was a complete mess." Michael's eyes cleared for a moment, filled with sadness, then clouded back over.

Eugene frowned. "Odd dreams."

"Sweet dreams are what I want," Guy said after he insisted that Eugene should check on Rapunzel. Eugene opened the door to the room and pecked in. She was more deeply asleep than the last time he had seen her.

He tiptoed in to kiss her cheek, frowning again slightly when he realized how warm she was. Either the babies were making her warmer, or the infection was still going on strong. He didn't know whether he wanted to kill Jacob or punish him. He had branded Rapunzel. Eugene couldn't wait for the day that he'd find Jacob.

Eugene closed the door behind him, and looked at Guy's and Michael's clouded gazes. For whatever reason, Guy and Michael avoided looking at each other.


	56. Never Present

Chapter Fifty Six **Michael's Point of View**

He roamed the town absently, his hands in his white pants. Michael glanced at Stephanie while she held onto the basket filled with pineapple. He took it from her, smiling.

Fernidia and Olivia were talking to a man he came to know as Alex Ruffins. He was the one who was mostly with Rapunzeel's rescuers, and even though he wasn't really considered a warden, he was the kingdom's prized blacksmith and was a bartender when he had free time. What were they talking to him for?

Michael wandered up, glancing at Stephanie to see her duck to another vendor. He tapped Fernidia's shoulder when she moved away from her sister and Alex. The brown haired maiden jumped.

"Hey, Ferns." Michael smiled brightly at her, pleased that he had a chance to grab her attention.

Fernidia blushed and looked down. "Hey, Michael."

"How's. . ." He wanted to talk to her, but words left him. Her face was so pretty when she blushed. It was like putting warm milk cream next to roses. It was charming.

"We were asking Alex about making silverware for the ball." Fernidia started babbling. Michael nodded and tried to concentrate. He was talking to the one of the most beautiful girls in the world, but he was also holding a basket of pineapple. Why was life so _complicated_?

"Has it been rescheduled yet?" He asked, trying hard to gather his thoughts. Was he allowed to talk to her outside of the palace? He frowned for a second. The battle between Rapunzel and Eugene over whose idea it was to drug the prisoners was their battle. Everyone should be allowed to talk to each other. The fact that the tables were starting to blend together again proved it.

Fernidia nodded. "It's been rescheduled the middle of spring." Her blue eyes met his dark brown ones, and Michael almost dropped the basket. Women were tricky things. He needed to pull off some tricks of his own. That was how Eugene operated. And look who married him. They were evenly matched, Rapunzel and Eugene. They both knew clever remarks, though Michael had only heard Eugene's.

"That's great." Michael enthused. "Can I ask in advance for a dance from the beautiful maiden standing next to me?"

Fernidia blushed a deeper shade of pink, making her face turn red. "My first and last dances are yours, Michael."

He grabbed her hand with his free left hand and kissed it. "Good to hear." He winked.

She smiled and took the basket from him. "We've still got shopping to do." She explained to him. She waved a tiny wave, and he waved back.

"Walk with me later?" He dared to ask.

He was rewarded with a 'yes' and a dazzling smile that had knocked him breathless. Michael had been planning to ask for her hand in marriage, he had bought a ring. He had asked Guy and Eugene about it when they were drunk, and the two of them probably didn't remember that they had told him 'Go for it!'. Michael paused for a moment, then realized he should discuss it with Stephanie first, only because he couldn't ask their father about it. Stephanie hadn't revealed the father's name, and unfortunately, that made it hard for Michael. Michael would have to think of a better time to talk to Stephanie now that Eugene and Rapunzel were still going at it. When would he be able to ask Fernidia though? He frowned, but thought of Fernidia's deep blue eyes and he felt his spirits lift.

Michael began to walk toward the Palace, feeling very light. She was a beautiful woman. When he was halfway there, still surrounded by little homes, he got barreled over.

"What?" He managed to gasp out but a hand covered his mouth. Michael struggled to his feet, fear and rage flooding over him. He struck out and hit skin. The person yelped and Michael struggled to see who it was. A black cloak covered his eyes and then the person yanked on Michael's left shoulder.

Immobility made Michael freeze. He lay rigid on the ground, caught. _Damn!_ Michael thought, _they must know who I am. No one knows to yank on my shoulder to freeze me._ It had been the shoulder he had almost wrenched while training Maximus. Everyone had a weak point somewhere on their body, and if you found it, you could freeze them instantly. Rapunzel's weak spot was her forehead. Why? Michael had a bit of an idea that it had to do with her hair.

"Michael Dawson," the voice sounded familiar. "It's been a while."

Michael couldn't speak. He could only demand silently, _What do you want?_

The person dragged him by his feet for a while. When he stopped, Michael had no idea where he was. The person propped him up against something solid. The black cloak was removed from his face, and Michael gasped.

Jacob Fernando smiled cruelly at him. "How's the shoulder?"

_Bastard!_ Michael's hands twitched and he willed them to rip Jacob's throat out. A twitch was all he managed.

Jacob placed his hand on Michael's shoulder, though he didn't yank. "I need you to do a favor for me. It's an offer you can't refuse." Michael realized that he should have never taught the Fernando Brothers hypnotism.

Michael started cursing him out fiercely in his mind. Jacob touched his forehead and said something that made Michael's blood run cold. "Kill Eugene."

Michael tried to force the thought of his mind. He couldn't kill Eugene. He wouldn't.

"I've got the upper hand, Michael." Jacob sneered. "You can't refuse this." His fingers felt like claws. "I'll _make_ sure you won't."

Jacob went on, his dark gray eyes still on Michael's face. "You won't remember I'm here at all." His voice was low and Michael felt his control slip. "You'll forget I was ever here. Jacob Fernando was never here, understand me?"

Michael's mind emptied as the command filled it. _Kill Eugene. Jacob Fernando was never here._

"You will act like nothing happened today. I was never here. You never received this command." Jacob hissed. "But you did! On the day of the trial, you'll grab a club and you'll beat him to death. Or you might stab him, Michael. I'm only letting you choose how he dies."

_How can you make me do this?_ Michael shrieked as his thoughts began to run wild. He couldn't kill someone, not Eugene. The command trapped his thoughts and made the words useless.

"And the best part is this: You'll kill anyone who tries to protect him." Jacob's voice was hypnotizing him, Michael could feel the pull. He realized that Jacob wouldn't ever be so near Eugene to kill him himself. Jacob needed someone to do his dirty work. "Everyone, you understand? _Everyone_."

Michael wanted to plug his ears so he couldn't hear Jacob's cruel words. "Even if it's a friend who helps him, Michael. A _lover_, even. You'll kill them, and laugh when you see their blood on your hands."

Jacob stood up, looking at Michael's face. Could Jacob see the turmoil in his eyes? Could he see Michael trying to think for himself?

"What will you do, Michael?" Jacob prodded him. He yanked on Michael's left shoulder so he could stand up. "What did I tell you to do?"

"Kill Eugene." Michael's voice was cold. Michael was pinned in his own mind.

"You'll be free once you kill him, Michael. You are still yourself, just under my control." Jacob seemed to say for his comfort. "You'll forget all about Eugene and move to another kingdom."

Michael wanted to tackle Jacob, but his body wasn't his own.

"Was I ever here?" Jacob asked, backing away. The afternoon sun was bright, and cast shadows around them. The little cottages and the peaceful breeze seemed lost on Michael.

"No."


	57. Close Call

Chapter Fifty Seven

I waddled across the room to the table, my thoughts heavy with sleep. I was tired of sleeping alone. Tired of having to move the chair, so eventually I stopped moving it. I was tired of passing out into sleep, but then waking up feeling exhausted. I was tired of feeling like I had to sleep for weeks to feel refreshed, yet then feeling energized the next second.

I sat down and moodily bit into a piece of pineapple. Fernidia peeked at me from the side, and I startled to see that she was crying. "Ferns, what's wrong?"

Olivia was looking at her sister. "You don't ever cry. What's happened?"

Fernidia looked at Anna and Candace, who were staring at her from their sides of the table. She got up and mouthed the word, 'book'. We followed her to the library and I glanced at the men's table to see that Michael was missing. Where was he?

I nibbled on my pineapple with a little more energy, my mouth bursting with the sweet taste.

Fernidia started talking to moment we passed the threshold. "Michael wanted me to walk with him yesterday, and after we finally finished shopping, I caught up with him. He told me to stay away and not to talk to him." She tried to stifle oncoming sobs. "He looked so distraught over something. He even snapped at me when I tried to stay."

Olivia's eyes started to boil. "So you're telling me I need to put cayenne pepper in his tea?" Cayenne pepper was the hottest spice in the kingdom. Olivia obviously knew where it grew.

Fernidia tried to smile. "No, don't! I-I'm just confused over it all." She made an attempt to distract us. "What was that about exploring yesterday?"

"I found a clearing with the most beautiful yellow flowers one day when I was walking." Anna-Beth started smiling. "They were so pretty. I wanted to take one with me, just to show off or something, but I left them." Her green eyes twinkled. "I want to show them to you. We might actually get to take some back here."

I was caught up in her idea. "That sounds great!" I stood up. I needed to see a splash of yellow right now. My world seemed dark and sad. Seeing the color yellow, or rather, anything other than gray- it had been raining so hard the past few days- would perk me up.

Fernidia wiped at her eyes and Olivia froze. "What are we going to eat? Don't we need to bring something with us if it's going to take a while?"

Anna started bouncing. "We could have a picnic!"

Candace looked at her then beamed. Her stomach was beginning to swell and she looked happier since she had seen David the other day. "What will we bring?"

"Bread and fruit, of course." Fernidia was walking out of the library. "I'll meet you at the gate."

Olivia followed her for a bit, with us behind her, and then we turned to the gate. The guards guarding it smiled at us and Candace waved to one, but he stared into space. I burst out laughing when she stuck her tongue out at him, and then we both squealed when he did it back, smirking.

Olivia giggled at the two of us, then turned to Anna to ask, "Do you miss Nathan?"

Anna's green eyes clouded. "Every day."

"Did you have a father around?" Candace looked at her friend. "Your mother used to watch you and Nathan at my father's bakery."

Anna nodded. "Your father made the best bread! William Canster was there too, your father, right, Liv?"

Olivia nodded. "He and Candace's father used to go to meetings in town. Maybe they were wardens?"

Anna shrugged. "I never learned what they were about."

I looked up at Fernidia appeared. She was carrying a basket with a cloth over it. She looked at me. "It's yours."

"Mine?" I echoed. "I've never seen it before."

Olivia and Fernidia blushed, looking down.

"What?" Anna and Candace stared at the Goldfinch Sisters.

"We meant to give it to you as a wedding present." Fernidia mumbled. I giggled and took it from her hands.

"I love it!" I grinned at them. We all burst out laughing and looked at Anna.

"Right! Um," Anna smiled. "This way." The sun beamed down on us, and the dark gray clouds surrounding it sped away as if chased by the cool breeze that enveloped us.

We followed her to the check-in, but she never went near it. The journey had been easier with my friends than by myself. We chatted about everything under the sun: funny things Olivia and Fernidia had gotten into as children, all the cookies I had baked in the tower, and Candace's and Anna's secret adventures through the palace. Anna stopped halfway before we reached the check-in and cut through the woods.

"What are you doing?" Candace asked her. "There isn't a trail through there."

"I know. That's how I found it." Anna smiled. I looked at the early afternoon sun and smiled.

"We're earlier than I expected." I said truthfully. I had expected the journey to take all afternoon.

"Rapunzel? What are you girls doing here?" A voice made us all jump. We turned around and I realized that Guy, Michael, and Eugene were behind us on horses. Maximus was Eugene's steed, and I blinked when I saw Pascal sitting on Eugene's shoulder glaring at me sternly.

Olivia smiled, and we all mirrored it. It pleased me immensely to think that we had been followed.

"Exploring." Candace said. She glanced back at where Anna had been; Anna was standing next to me now. I wondered if Candace was thinking about making a run for it. "We just found it."

"Almost." Anna muttered.

Fernidia was looking at Michael with a somber face. I realized that Michael was a little away from Eugene and felt puzzlement that dissolved when I heard Olivia whispered, "Run on three."

I smiled wider and looked at Fernidia, pleased again to see her smiling as well. "One," Olivia said.

"Three!" Anna-Beth shouted. We all took off through where Anna had been moments before. Fernidia was at my heels –probably making sure I wouldn't fall- and was giggling. The wind rushed through my braided hair and kissed my face. The men's horses roared behind us and I could hear them picking up speed.

Luck was on our side however, since we were in the forests. The men had to dodge trees and bramble bushes so they couldn't go any faster. Anna veered to the right and I followed with the others. Olivia, when I reached her, had pure excitement on her face.

When Anna stopped, I thought it was because she had glanced behind her to see if anyone was right up under us. She stopped because she had found the flowers.

My friends and I slowed to a halt and stared at the tiny clearing. Golden flowers dotted it in clumps, and the trees surrounded the edges. I walked past Anna, hearing the men gaining up speed, but not caring.

When they reached us, they stopped as well. I heard Michael breathe, "What in the world?"

They climbed off of their horses, and Eugene took my hand. I looked at him, almost wanting to hold it. I pulled away gently and walked toward the flowers.

The gold seemed to cloud my vision and I smiled as I touched one of the flowers. I felt very warm and happy. My thoughts began to slow as I walked around the clumps.

"Rapunzel?" Olivia made me look at her. She saw the content on my face and took a shaky step forward.

"What is it?" My voice sounded light, and suddenly, I felt like I could really see. Sometimes the world seemed so dark, but other times it wasn't. The world was a dangerous place, Mother Gothel had been right about that, and sometimes the dangers were too real. But when the world was bright, it was almost like heaven. Being near the flowers made me see this, and I felt my mind open up with reason.

"You're glowing." Fernidia gasped. The girls all tried to crowd around me, but when they neared the flowers, their eyes rolled back and they staggered. Olivia grabbed Anna-Beth when she seemed to swoon but Anna stood back up to take steps back. The guys watched them, and didn't walk any closer.

"I am?" It took me a minute to process it. I looked at my hair, and once I touched it, I had the strongest urge to unbraid it. Once my hair was flowing around me in a long curtain, I looked at it.

It was glowing gold like I was singing my healing song. I looked at my hands and gasped. I _was_ glowing.

_Where am I?_ I asked myself.

Then it clicked.

The flowers that surrounded me were sun flowers. Dread filled me when I realized what I would have to do. Jacob probably knew that the flowers were here, but he probably didn't know that so many had started growing. Like it had been when I was living at Jacob's house, I'd have to cut the flowers down.

_No_. I realized something else. Jacob had gotten one flower to his house without it dying. It had only died when he started cooking it. I recalled his actions from the vision I had received the day I had fallen off the waterfall. The flower was alive when he took it. He must have yanked it out the ground with the roots still in the clump of dirt that had come up with it. We'd have to yank them out the ground, take the seeds, _and_ cut it off at the stem.

"What are we going to do with all of these flowers?" Guy asked, breaking us all out of our silent trance. "Jacob must know about these."

I thought of Azalea suddenly and shivered. This was going to be brutal. Guy and Michael had told me about her episode with the pain. Now, we'd both be affected because even though she had only copied my body so she would look like me, she had been posing as me for so long that she probably had established a connection with the flowers. What else had she received from me?

"We have to cut them down." I said slowly. I let the words sink in before continuing. "If Jacob finds all of these, we're at his mercy. Can you imagine the money anyone would be willing to pay for one petal?"

Eugene frowned. "No, no. We'd have to replant them. They're connected to you. I-If we cut them, we might kill you, Rapunzel. I-I can't do that."

I walked over to him and put his hand on my cheek. "The worst that can happen is that I'll be in pain." I kissed his nose.

Olivia spoke from where she was, still staring at the flowers. "Rapunzel, your heart has stopped two, if not three, times. He's right. I don't think we should risk it."

"But if Jacob finds these, he might cut them down but never replant them." Anna argued on my side. "Then she will be dead. I say we try it." Her green eyes seemed sincere, but I couldn't tell if she understood the severity of the situation.

Guy and Michael looked at each other. "I agree." They both said. Fernidia nodded. Eugene's hazel eyes dimmed and I felt a bit guilty, but we couldn't take any chances.

The men moved toward the flowers, each step becoming more unsteady. Michael groaned. "Oh."

"What's wrong? Are they hurting you?" Anna asked worriedly.

Eugene answered, "It's so _pure_ over here somehow. I feel like an innocent child again." He wavered and I could see him shaking hard from where he stood. "I feel dizzy."

"I'm sure we can do this though," Guy muttered. He and Michael pulled out their daggers. Michael's hand trembled as he handled his to Eugene, and I saw his eyes darken.

"Pull them out," I started giving them instructions, "do it fast. Then cut them at the stem and take out the seeds. Replant them anywhere you can, but in one place."

"Thorough, eh?" Olivia piped, sounding just like Guy. I saw him wink at her and she smiled a little when she blushed.

Eugene looked at me, and then at Anna and Candace. They understood and both of them grabbed one of my shoulders. He turned back to Michael and Guy, though Michael looked away when he met Eugene's gaze.

"Now." Guy commanded, and all three of them yanked up a flower.

An intense pain flooded over me, so much so that I felt the color drain from my face. They yanked up another flower, and it was all I could do not to scream. Anna and Candace's grip tightened on my shoulders. The men pulled flowers from the ground, quickly. Eugene looked at my face and the alarm made him go faster.

Within moments, I was fighting consciousness. I wasn't screaming, and the flicker of pride I felt momentarily chased the pain away. Agony gripped my mind with a strong hold, and I started to embrace the darkness clouding my vision. Only to escape the pain.

When they finally stopped yanking up the flowers, I never noticed. Because then they started to cut them from the stem.

**Nathan's Point of View**

He smiled as Azalea handed him a soggy mass of red clay. "Thanks, Doll." He said to her.

The prisoners were silent all around him, listening to Liam talk about sneaking bread to David when he was punished for something and not fed dinner. He laughed with the rest of them when Liam said that David had nearly fainted when Liam snuck through his bedroom window with the bread in tow.

He glanced at Azalea, puzzled yet pleased that she was still standing by him. She looked down at him, and he blinked when he saw her eyes.

They were glowing silver, and seemed clouded while she stared at him. He leaped to his feet, his green eyes taking in her face when it suddenly contorted with pain. Her skin and hair were glowing light, as silver as her eyes. She sucked in a deep breath and opened her mouth, but Nathan quickly clamped his hand to her mouth to stop the sound. She was going to scream.

Tears suddenly flew from her eyes and he grabbed her by the shoulders, steering her to the stream.

"What's going on?" Alex's voice sounded behind him. He seemed to look at Azalea, because then he asked, "Is she glowing or am I seeing things?"

Nathan quickly pushed Azalea in the stream, frantically started to splash water on her face. Her mouth opened and closed and Nathan realized that she was still trying to scream but was probably in too much pain to make a sound. He could hear screams distantly, and wondered where they were coming from.

"Is she okay?" Alex wondered out loud. He stooped down to help Nathan wet Azalea's ashen face.

Nathan shrugged, his muscles tense. He suddenly recognized the screams. Azalea had screamed when she had experienced a pain he couldn't fathom in the bathroom, and she had been Rapunzel. The screams were Rapunzel's-

Something was terribly wrong. Why would Rapunzel be screaming?

"Oh God." Nathan picked up Azalea and hurried past the prisoners working. Dwayne looked at them, as did Liam and David, and surged to his feet. Alex was ahead of Nathan and yanked Mint toward him. Dwayne took off on foot behind them and Alex was on another horse.

Nathan burst through the clearing he and Azalea found yesterday. When they had been there, Nathan had suspected that Azalea had been glowing. She had gone pale, and like now, her eyes had been more silver than gray. But he wasn't sure because of the rain. Now he was positive that the flowers had done something to her.

The scene in front of him shocked him.

Rapunzel was lying on the grass face up, shrieking and sobbing while Anna-Beth –it overjoyed him to see her again- and Olivia were shaking her. Fernidia and Candace were begging the men to stop, and when Nathan saw them, his heart stopped. They were yanking up the flowers.

He climbed off of Mint, gently taking Azalea off of her back. He laid her next to Rapunzel and struggled to walk to the men so he could yank them away from the flowers. The golden living things were pulled up in clumps, and most of them were cut off from the stem.

"What the hell are you doing?" Nathan yanked Guy from the flowers. Guy looked at him and Nathan felt dizziness fill his mind as he walked passed the dying flowers. He felt scared for Azalea and Rapunzel. "Stop it! You're hurting them!"

Eugene shook his head. "We have to do this or Jacob will come back."

"But they're-" Nathan stared at Rapunzel and Azalea's limp forms. Rapunzel had stopped screaming. They both looked pale despite the fact that they were strangely glowing.

Nathan got on his knees, desperation surging through him. He began to cut off all the flowers, digging them up frantically with his hands while Eugene and Guy got the seeds out and handed them to Michael who put them in a basket with a cloth over it.

When they were finally finished, Nathan gasped when he saw the glow leave Rapunzel and Azalea's bodies. They looked. . . dead.

Eugene groaned and forced himself to move to Rapunzel's body. Nathan barely heard him murmur the words, "Don't go, Blondie. Don't leave me."

Within moments, Nathan felt the ground hurtle up to him. Michael pulled him up by his shoulders. "She wanted us to replant them."

"Where the hell would we do that?" Nathan realized how empty his voice sounded, but he almost didn't care. Were the girl he cared about and her friend gone?

"The gardens, we could try there." Michael's brown eyes cleared. "Come on, Guy!" Michael barked.

A flicker of hope entered Guy's face, and he and Michael were off on their horses. Maximus and Pascal stared at Rapunzel's body with horrorstruck eyes. Eugene looked lost and very vulnerable. Nathan wanted to move to him, but he couldn't move.

The wait felt like hours. Nathan traced Azalea's limp features with numb fingers. Her eyebrows were a shade darker than her hair, and arched perfectly. Her lips were plump, and Nathan wanted to kiss them, wondering if that would make her wake up. Her cheekbones were high on her face, and seemed sharp. She was skinnier than he realized when he took her in his arms. She needed to be in the kingdom. He looked at Eugene, struck at what he saw. Eugene was sobbing, rocking Rapunzel in his arms. One hand clutched her stomach while another hand rubbed her back. Nathan heard him mumble the same words over and over, "Wake up, Blondie. Wake up."

Olivia and the other maidens were crying loudly, shaking in each others' arms. Alex was next to them, trying to offer soothing words, but the Warden was wiping his eyes.

Nathan felt all hope leave him and soon he was sobbing, too, his heart aching so hard, he wanted a dagger so he could slit his throat. Azalea was dead. He'd see her sooner if he did cut his throat. Diego had taken Dwayne's and Nathan's daggers when they were arrested.

He leaned his cheek down to her nose to see if he could feel air. Nathan couldn't tell if her heart was beating, and he didn't want to know if it wasn't. He couldn't feel any air on his cheek.

Azalea stirred so faintly in his arms, Nathan thought he imagined it. "Doll?" He dared to ask, hoping that she'd respond.

Her eyes opened slowly and she gazed at him with glassy greenish gray eyes. "Nat-Nathan?"

"Oh God." Nathan rocked her, relief making it hard for him to speak. He felt limp with gratitude and wondered briefly why he didn't fall over. "You're alive."

"Alive?" She mumbled. "What happened?"

"We nearly lost you." Eugene looked over at them. Rapunzel's face was blank with dazed confusion. The princess was struggling to speak. Nathan thought he caught the word, 'cramp'.

Alex was watching from where he stood. He walked to them and held out two cloths. He looked at them with confused eyes and offered the only solution.

"Only for a little bit."

Eugene and Nathan put the cloths over their beloved's face.


	58. A Kick and Blending In

Chapter Fifty Eight

I rubbed my eyes, sleepy and sick. My stomach was cramping and the sensation made me wish for a hot towel. "Azalea?" Was she nearby?

She stirred from the other side of me. "Rapunzel? Where are we?"

I looked around the room and realized that we were in the room Eugene and I had slept in before we were married. "A familiar place." I said.

She wearily sat up. "We're on it again." I nodded and she groaned. "What happened?"

"I'll explain after we eat." I sat up and climbed off the bed. The familiar vertigo rushed over me, and suddenly Azalea grabbed my shoulders.

"Steady." She cautioned. "I'm just as wobbly as you."

I staggered back up to my feet and looked at her. She was terribly skinny. Her skin seemed ashen and pale. Azalea's greenish gray eyes followed my gaze as I worriedly stared at her. She needed to be eating more. She needed a blanket at night, she was shivering now. She needed-

"Are you all right?" Azalea's voice broke my concentration. "You're rubbing your belly pretty hard. Is one of the babies kicking?"

I shook my head and blushed. "Sorry. I'm just worrying over things."

"Like what?" Azalea got off the bed, shivering harder. I realized that the fireplace had been lit because embers burned brightly in it. I blew hard on them, and the wood ignited again. She went to the washroom and I saw that she had washed her face. "I'm waiting."

"Just that I wish you were here." I frowned. "I worried about you and the others, Azal." I smiled when I said her nickname. I had heard it so many times on my brief visits and rescue that I had picked it up.

Azalea smiled a tiny smile. "We're fine."

"You look starved." I pointed out. I went into the washroom to wash my own face, not minding when Azalea ducked in the washroom with me. I rubbed my stomach a little, wincing at the cramp.

"Hungry?" Azalea bent down to listen to my stomach. She looked back up at me and I saw laughter dancing in her eyes. "I hear noises."

"I think so." I amended, laughing. Whose stomach didn't make noises? "I've got cramps. I think I need some pineapple too."

Azalea grinned at me and stood up straight. She looked hesitantly at the room door. "What happens now?"

I gently touched her shoulder and shook my head. "I don't know. Hope for the best?"

"I'll just expect the good." Azalea opened the door. I felt the sense of déjà vu sweep over me as I walked out. The hallways were quiet this time.

When we made it to the Dining Hall, my stomach cramped harder at the thought of food. I opened the door and took a few steps inside before I stopped, my mouth ajar.

The tables were really mixed this time. Olivia was sitting next to Guy again, and Michael was pulling up a chair for Fernidia. There were two empty seats next to Eugene, and one next to Nathan. Dwayne was walking to the seat with a full plate of muffins. Both men looked freshly shaved and had on new clothes, while Liam and David were sitting across from them. Both men also had shaved and were wearing new clothes. Candace and Anna-Beth were sitting between the two men, and Anna was smiling wholeheartedly at her older brother.

I gasped. "What happened?" We hadn't blended in like this since I had gotten back. And why were Nathan, Dwayne, David, and Liam sitting with them?

My Father looked at me from where he was sitting at the head of the table. "Come sit down."

Azalea and I exchanged confused glances when Father started eating again. Olivia saw us and started clapping. The entire room joined in and I felt myself sink into more confusion.

I took the empty seat to the left of Eugene and Azalea took the seat between Eugene and Nathan. Fernidia handed me a plate of pineapple, and I was shocked when Azalea got a plate of the same fruit. My head spun as I ate slowly.

"Someone needs to explain." Azalea said after a few moments.

Guy looked at her, and Dwayne spoke. "Yes, please do explain. I don't have a clue what's going on."

Nathan spoke next. "Dwayne, you don't remember? We all fell asleep on the floor, and Eugene woke us up and showed us where some clothes were. We shaved, cleaned up a bit, and here we are."

"I believe my exact words were, 'Come and get some grub'." Eugene said, smiling at Nathan.

I held my head and massaged my temples. _What?_ I bit back a snap. _That's hardly an explanation._

I got up and stopped when I saw Alex. He was talking to my Father and grinned at me. I was wordless when I handed my plate to my Mother, who had waited for it with an outstretched hand.

I was so lost.

I walked to the Dining Hall exit, just to clear my head, when another cramp made me bit my lip. Blood sprang in my mouth and I staggered as I pulled the door open.

"Rapunzel?" Eugene's concerned voice sounded from the table.

"Fresh air," I choked and hurriedly closed the door.

In the washroom, I yanked up the skirt of my dress to look at my stomach. I poked it and blinked hard. It _hurt_.

"Rapunzel?" Azalea knocked on the door. "Everything okay?"

"I think I'm-" What do you say? I had no idea how this worked.

"You think you're what?" Azalea opened the door and looked at my pale face. "What's happening? Is it-"

Panic filled my voice. "I don't know, but the cramps are starting to-"

Worry made her hands shake for a moment. "Let's ask Stephanie."

"No, no." I backed away. "I think I'm just hungry." Or more hungry.

"We both know you're not hungry, Rapunzel." Azalea's voice was firm. She walked out of the washroom.

I paced fiercely, hoping for Azalea to come with Stephanie, but wanting to flee from the room at the same time. I looked back at the door, and then at one of the windows. Was it worth it?

It was one of the large windows that dotted the hall walls, and would give me more than enough room. The outside view was concealed with long purple curtains, and I pushed them aside to unlatch the window. Crawling out of it was hard, my stomach was cramping and I was suddenly feeling too light on my feet.

I hit the ground fairly heavy, landing on my feet. I looked up at the window and walked around the palace to the entrance. When I finally made it, my ankles were swollen and the cramps were terrible.

Michael was sitting at the front gate, eyeing the guards with an unfamiliar hostile look. It faded away completely when he saw me. "Rapunzel!" He walked to me stiffly.

"Don't let anyone know I'm out here." I hushed him. I hurried into the palace and entered the library, yanking hard on his arm when he tried to move away. He stared at me with very cloudy eyes. How odd. Michael's eyes almost always betrayed his emotions, but now I couldn't even tell what he was thinking.

I sat down quickly, panting at the speed of the cramps. I knew what was going on now. Olivia and Stephanie had sat me down and drilled me what happens every month. I shouldn't be having bad cramps right now. Not when I was so close. I was going to mis-

The thought made me go pale and I quickly unbraided the tips of my hair. I felt dim frustration as my fingers twisted gracefully. Who kept re-braiding my hair?

I put the tips on my stomach, and started singing. "_Flower gleam and glow_." Michael's eyes flew wide when my hair started to glow brightly. He reached out to touch my hair with a shaky hand, and for a moment, the dark brown clouds covering his eyes were gone. His eyes suddenly shone with desperation, and I could see the reflection of the glow of my hair in his eyes.

"_Let your power shine. Make the clock reverse. Bring back what once was mine._" The cramps were easing away, and I felt my entire body flood with warmth. Now the warmth reminded me of how it felt when my fingers touched a petal of the sun flowers. A thought struck me as I sang. Where were the sun flowers?

I hadn't heard what happened after I had blanked out yesterday. I could only remember wishing the pain would end, and then Eugene was holding me. There was the familiar smell covering my face, and then there was nothing.

"_Heal what has been hurt. Change the fate's design._" Could the babies hear me? For some reason, I felt my voice grow louder. "_Save what has been lost. Bring back what once was mine. What once was mine. . ._"

The cramps were gone now. I sighed blissfully, not realizing that somehow I had been holding my breath.

Eugene's voice grabbed my attention. "What's happened?" He, Guy, Nathan, Dwayne, everyone was walking in. Anna-Beth was staring at me and Michael; a smile lit her face when she saw that everything was okay. Azalea hurried to me, Stephanie by her side. Michael's eyes stared at Eugene, and somehow the clouds were back. Then the clouds became a dark brown steely curtain.

"Everything's fine." I sat up, but the lightest sensation in my stomach stopped me. I sat back down, shock on my face.

"Rapunzel?" Eugene took the empty space next to me. His hazel eyes met my green eyes, asking a question. "What's wrong?"

I grabbed his hand with my shaky one and placed it on my stomach. Eugene froze. Everyone in the room hushed.

Eugene and I waited. Then there it was.

The light sensation.

One of them was kicking.

Eugene kissed my cheek when joyful tears filled my eyes.


	59. Paint

Chapter Fifty Nine Anna-Beth's Point of View

She looked up at Dwayne and smiled. "Was it hard being there?"

Dwayne looked at her from across the table, putting down his book. His dark brown hair was suddenly not so dark. It almost seemed chestnut in the bright morning light that flooded the library. The library's pale lavender walls almost seemed white.

"Not really," Dwayne winced at a hidden memory. "The work was, but Wardens have a way with breaking people."

Anna nodded seriously, her eyes never leaving Dwayne's face. His own eyes were very transparent, and she found that she could see more memories flickering trapped in the gray waters. "What hurt you?"

"I beg your pardon?" Dwayne stammered, breaking eye contact. His gray eyes strayed to his book and stayed locked on it.

"I can tell that you're hurt, Dwayne. It's in your eyes." Anna wanted to make him look at her. She looked down at her own book and then back at Dwayne to find his eyes on her. A strange pleasure filled her while his eyes traced the features on her face.

"No one hurt me." Dwayne tried to lie.

Anna-Beth looked at him. "Really?"

Dwayne shook his head hurriedly, his chestnut hair following his movements. He looked away from the table completely, staring at the bright light coming in from the windows.

"I'll tell you who hurt me," Anna attempted to restart the conversation. She really wanted to know Dwayne. He was one of the most intriguing people she had ever met, and she wanted to see if they could see eye-to-eye on things.

Dwayne looked back at her with penetrating dark gray eyes. "Who hurt you, my dear lady?"

Anna-Beth blushed, and recalled her childhood.

Her father is one of the no nonsense kind of fathers. Nathan had told her this, and since he had been around longer than her, she could only trust that he was right.

Anna is six, and it is two years before Nathan had chased around their backyard, her parents had gotten into the biggest argument Anna had ever witnessed.

"Where do you keep going at night?" Her mother yells at their father, who looks seconds away from pushing her from him.

Nathan is standing at the other side of the threshold, peering inside of her mother and father's bedroom. He meets her eyes and put a finger to his lips.

"It's not your business where I'm going!" He snaps back. Her mother's hands are in fists, and Anna can see the healing burns on her hands.

One time, when Anna and Nathan had been bathing in the washroom, Anna had seen Nathan take off his shirt and she had seen a very bad burn. It was recent too, from what Anna could tell.

"What happened, Nat?" She had asked him in a trembling voice. It must have hurt badly.

"I was helping Mother cook some bread," Nathan's eyes clouded. Anna had come to recognize that gaze to the point where she knew that whenever Nathan's eyes clouded, he was telling lies. "I slipped on some spilled water and hit the oven."

Anna winced. "Did it hurt?"

"Very much so," Nathan tried to change the subject. "How was Candace's, Anna?"

"It was fun. We talked about flowers." Anna smiled, being six she was easily distracted. But she wouldn't forget the burn. "Did you know that lavender roses means 'love at first sight'? Candace's mother told me that."

Nathan nodded. "I thought it just meant love."

"Love at first sight is more powerful than love though." Anna tried to recall more of the flowers and their meanings. She gave up. "Candace's mother wrote them down for me. I brought it home." She'd have to look later.

"Why won't you tell me?" Her mother screams, jolting Anna's mind back into the present. Her mother's voice becomes calmer. "Some days you look too scared to go. Do you owe someone money?"

Her father's eyes go blank and cloud over. Anna realizes that mother had spoken some sort of truth aloud. _Who does Father owe money to?_ Anna tries to think hard. _Are they bad men?_

"You don't know me at all, Abigail!" Her father hisses. "Why would I owe someone money?"

"Why wouldn't you?" Her mother snaps back. "You've always had a thing for being tricked."

"What do you mean?" For the first time in Anna's life, her father looks genuinely confused.

Her mother flounders, startled at the fact that her husband doesn't know what she was talking about for once. "The mind tricks, the hypnotism."

"This is all I'm giving you." Her father suddenly looks very vulnerable. He walks to their mother. Nathan and Anna cringe, expecting to hear the sharp snap of sound that meant a blow had been delivered. Instead, her father strokes her mother's cheek.

"I do owe someone money, but it wasn't my fault." His father backs away to grab his coat, and Anna stares hard at her mother's face, stunned to see tears streaming from her mother's eyes.

Her mother opens her mouth, and since her father's back is turned, he didn't see her mouth the words, 'Don't go.'

The last words she hears her father utter are, "The bloody mind trick actually worked this time, that's all you get, Abby."

Dwayne's hand was moving randomly on her face, and Anna realized that she was shedding tears of her own. "I'm sorry." Dwayne said.

Anna grabbed his hand, looking at him in confusion when she saw that he was sitting next to her. She scooted over a little bit, confused even more when he scooted closer to her. She tried to get rid of the awkwardness. "It is okay, some memories hurt, that's all."

"If a memory makes a girl cry, then it was only the elements of the memory." Dwayne's eyes turned serious. "What else happened, would you tell me?"

Anna nodded, trying hard to grab her bearings. She couldn't cry in front of him.

The day she came home one day after looking at the beautifully decorated windows in town, no one was in the house. She lets herself in since the house was almost always unlocked. She latches it back herself and sits down at the table.

She and Candace had been walking around town, feeling the bright sun beamed down on them. The sun had been hot, and any other day, she and Candace would have stayed out until sunset. But little seven year old Anna had a mind to tell Candace that they both should go home to cool off. It had only been early afternoon, but the sun was scorching.

Anna goes to the bucket on the kitchen counter. Every morning, either Nathan or her mother would go to the well in the back of the house and get fresh water so if any of them came home, they wouldn't have to go in the back to get fresh water.

The water is fairly cold, and Anna fills a teacup to drink, and then fills another to cool her forehead. She grabs a piece of bread from the basket that they leave near the bucket, and eats slowly.

She hopes Candace had gotten home okay, and has fresh water. Anna looks at the bucket, and decides to grab a rather large pitcher of the water and take it to Candace's house. While they were in town, Candace had complained of the possibility that maybe their windows were melting. Anna had just thought that they were cracked somewhere and heart was getting in.

Anna fills the pitcher and walks to the door, when someone knocks on it.

"Hello? Is anyone inside?" The voice was hoarse. Anna peeked through the windows and saw a horse's snout.

She backs away, not sure whether to answer when the voice asks for water.

She looks at the pitcher in her hands, and opens the door.

The man is somehow familiar, and he smiles at her with crooked teeth. He has a bonnet over his head and wears a dark navy blue vest with lighter blue sleeves. His pants and boots are black. He also has a black bandana tucked under his chin.

"Hey, girly." The man smiles again, though this time the smile looks more threatening. He pushes stray dark curls from her eyes, and his touch sent chills down her spin.

"Can we come in?" He asked, his voice sounding more like a hiss.

Anna feels cold, and can't do anything when he walks inside, gaping when more men flood in behind him. They all wear different shades of blue, and their faces were twisted into crude smiles.

"D-do you want something?" Anna tries hard not to tremble. _What was it that Mother had said once? _Anna tries harder. _Any men who comes in and asks for water really just wants-_

"Is Wesley Keen here?" The men stare at her. _Why do they want Father?_ Anna thought in panic.

"N-no." She stammers.

"That's too bad." The man who had knocked on the door shakes his head. He looks back at her, and then around the house. He seems remorseful. "It's not well decorated, boys. No luck here."

"S-sir," Anna tries to talk bravely. "I have water for you, if you need some." Maybe if she gave them water, they'd leave her alone.

The man shakes his head, but looks at the men. "Asking for water works every time." They all burst into laughter, and the laughter echoes around the empty house, the sound bouncing off the walls. The laughter haunts Anna's coming nightmares.

"No water for us, girly." The man opens his mouth to say more, but a knock sounds on the closed door. When did she close it? The man looks at his men and snapped, "Hide." They all flee into the house.

Anna trembles as she goes to open the door.

The man standing in front of her is a priest, and Anna recognizes him with joy. He would be the brother of the priest that would do Rapunzel's wedding. "Father Dante!"

His dark purple sleeves are pushed back as he hugs her. He whispers in her ear, "It's grandfather Dante to you, dear."

Anna closes the door behind her to a crack, and stares in fear as her grandfather stared at the ten horses outside. He asks her, "Dear, whose horses are those?"

Anna tries to lie. "They all just ran up."

"Why do they have saddles on them?"

"They ran from the Stables."

"Dear," he looks at her. "Don't lie to me."

"Their men are inside, Father Dante." Anna trembles. "I don't know what they want."

"Where's Abby and Nathan?"

"Not here." Anna looks back at the house. "Can you hide? I think they were going."

Her grandfather shakes his head. "My brother Peter would kill me if I left you with them." He looks at the pitcher she is still holding, her grip on it is so tight that her knuckles are white. "Come with me. Is that for Candace?"

She nods wordlessly, and closes to the door fully. She follows him through town to Candace's house.

Her friend opens the door. "Thank you!" She hugs Anna. "We were about to melt in here. The Kingdom's well is in the square, but it's a long walk when you're hot. I'm sure Mother would have fainted if she tried it." Candace's dark brown eyes gleam with gratitude. "See you tomorrow?"

Anna nods.

When she is halfway back to her home, she looks at Father Dante. "How did you know I was home?"

"The Lord works in mysterious ways, dear." is all he says.

When they are back at home, the horses are gone. She smiles brightly at her grandfather, and kisses him on the cheek. Who knows what would have happened if Anna had stayed there.

He opens the door for her, and stands by her when she looks through the house. Nothing was disturbed, but their bucket is gone.

In its place, she found a note. It is signed by Lord Fredrick. Who was that? Next to his name, the word is in tiny print, 'thug'. She doesn't care when she reads the word, but she keeps the note in her room. " '_Thank you for the water, girly. The bucket is outside by your little well. Nice house you got here, didn't take anything. In fact, I left you something. Something green_.' "

Next to the note is dark green paint.

Dwayne smiled at her. "So he left you green paint?" he blinked in wonder. "I almost recognize that name from somewhere. Are you sure it was Fredrick?"

"Positive." Anna looked at the nearly afternoon light. Dwayne scooted out of the chair next to her and helped her stand up.

"Hungry?"

"I do want a taste of cantaloupe." Anna amended. Dwayne held her hand for a moment longer, and she could still feel his fingers massaging hers as they walked to the Dining Hall.


	60. Green Eyes and Falling

Chapter Sixty _Azalea's Point of View_

The last two weeks had been exhausting. Even though they no longer did duties the prisoners did, they still helped out in the palace. Azalea often found herself icing cakes or scrubbing the floor. She no longer cared where she slept and wandered into a new room every night. However, she kept waking up in the same room every morning: it had pale yellow walls with a creamy white trim. The furniture was a light brown, and the bedspread matched the walls.

Azalea sighed as she got into the bed, not knowing whether it was the same bed or not. She couldn't see the bedspread, but she didn't care. Mopping up the floors and wiping the windows was the hardest part and she started to enjoy finding new beds to sleep in the palace's many spare rooms. Her eyes closed.

She opened her eyes as she was pushed off the bed. She shrieked when she landed on the floor, caught off guard. She sat up, looking around wildly. "Who did that?"

Liam and David were standing by the wall, yelling for them to get up, while Dwayne was giving Nathan the same treatment.

Nathan hit the floor, and didn't stir.

David looked Dwayne, who was staring around the room with a mocking shamed look. "Damn, Dwayne."

"What?" Dwayne looked at David and Liam.

"You killed him." David's lips were twitching. Azalea guessed he was trying not to smile.

"You bastard!" Nathan roared up off the floor and Dwayne jumped. Dwayne took off out the room with a fully dressed Nathan on his heels. Azalea heard a thump and a yell, and then Nathan walked in calmly, his dark hair ruffled, rubbing his knuckles. He sat back down on the bed and rubbed sleep out of his eyes. He looked at the three of them, and said calmly. "Mornin'."

Liam grinned. "Hey, Nat."

"You hit me in the ribs!" Dwayne yelled as he walked back in the room. "Damn that hurt!" He rubbed his side.

Nathan looked at him and smiled. "Mornin', Dwayne."

"Morning?" Dwayne howled. He sat down next to Dwayne, waving at Azalea who was still sitting up on the floor. Dwayne blinked at Nathan. "Had fun?"

"I was aiming for your head but I missed." Nathan said in a dead monotone.

Dwayne rolled his eyes, which had the entire room laughing.

Eugene knocked on the wall since the door was wide open. "Ready?" He strolled in, a smile on his own face.

"For what?" David asked, still chuckling.

Olivia burst through the room, weaved around Eugene, and yanked Azalea off the floor. "This way."

Azalea looked back in the room at Nathan, before Olivia pulled her into the hallway. "Where are we going?"

"The dressing room," Olivia said. "The ball has been rescheduled, and it's in two days."

"Two days?" Azalea struggled to keep up with Olivia's long strides. "We've just gotten into the kingdom. The ball was supposed to take place a month ago."

"And now it's in two days, Azalea." Olivia didn't seem impatient. "You'll need to pick a dress and be fitted. Rapunzel's there too."

Azalea sighed as she followed Olivia. She remembered all those times she had posed as Rapunzel when she was picking dresses. It suddenly seemed like it had happened such a long time ago. They had been in the kingdom a while.

"Liv?"

"Yes?" Olivia looked back at her. They were more than half way to the right door.

"We all moved in the kingdom two weeks ago, right?"

Olivia nodded. "Nostalgic?"

"A little." Olivia smiled at her, her blue eyes dancing. The time had flown by so fast.

When they reached the door, Azalea heard a thump and Olivia and her exchanged alarmed glances. Azalea put her hand on the knob, but then it was yanked open by Rapunzel. Azalea gasped when she saw Rapunzel's face.

"Rapunzel, you scared me!" Fernidia shrieked.

Rapunzel turned around, "Fernidia, you scared _me_!"

"I was trying to show you your reflection!" Fernidia was standing in the middle of the room, awkwardly trying to grab pieces of glass of the floor. One of the small hand mirrors was broken.

"You shoved a mirror in my face!" Rapunzel's voice was high pitched with something Azalea couldn't identify.

Olivia hushed them. "What happened?"

"Fernidia shoved a mirror in my face!" Rapunzel turned to Fernidia's younger sister.

Fernidia yelled again. "I was trying to show you your reflection!"

"Quiet!" Olivia barked, her eyes sparking.

"You nearly hit me!" Rapunzel shrieked.

"If that happened, it would have been an _accident_!" Fernidia snapped.

Azalea walked calmly to one of the closets and pulled out a light pink gown. She looked at the color and stroked one of the sleeves. "This is pretty," she purred and headed to the main mirror, stepping carefully around the glass. The Goldfinch Sisters and Rapunzel turned to look at her. Rapunzel blinked.

"Azalea, what are you doing?" Fernidia asked, exasperated.

Azalea pressed the gown to her skin, looking at the contrast between the gown and her skin. She looked at the three of them. "Well, since nerves are already frayed, it's already going to be a while. So I'm just going to start now while you have at it." She held her arm out, looking at the sleeves' length.

Olivia rubbed her temples. "Ferns, can we _please_ finish?"

Rapunzel sighed. "Sorry, Fernidia."

"Sorry, Rapunzel." Fernidia gave Rapunzel an awkward hug and Azalea rolled her eyes. Rapunzel was unstable because of hormones, and shrieking matches weren't going to help. Still, she admired Fernidia's persistence to explain to Olivia. Or shriek, really.

Rapunzel looked at the glass on the floor and looked around. She grabbed the door knob and looked around. She grabbed something Azalea couldn't see and came back in holding a broom. She swept up the glass in one corner and wiped her forehead.

Olivia helped Rapunzel into a dress and Azalea commented on the dark blue gown Fernidia was trying on. "That's pretty."

"I like the texture." Fernidia handed the gown out for Azalea to touch. Fernidia was right. The gown felt very soft.

Azalea tried on a silvery gray gown that reached for her knees and the sleeves stretched abnormally to her wrists, though they had slits in them. "Was this a tailor's error?" She asked Olivia.

The maiden was trying on a dress of her own while Rapunzel pulled down the mid-arm sleeves. She looked at the slits. "No. It's a friend of Stephanie's; it was her idea."

Azalea looked at the color, and smiled. This was her kind of gray.

Rapunzel looked at it. "It suits you." Was she remembering the gray dress Azalea had on when she and Dwayne kidnapped her? Azalea winced at the memory, guilt surging over her.

Fernidia handed Olivia a bright yellow gown. "Try it."

Olivia pulled the dress over her under garments and looked at it. Azalea smiled when she saw it. The color made Olivia's skin look prettier, and brought out the blue in her eyes. Rapunzel squealed. "Liv, that looks great."

"Not yet." Olivia stepped off the stool and went to a dark mahogany chest and pulled out a drawer. She dabbed her finger into something and wiped her fingertip across her lips. When she turned around, there was red stained on her lips.

Fernidia gasped. "You'll kill Guy, Liv."

Olivia smiled. "Then I get to take him home?"

Rapunzel, fitted now in a dark lavender dress, and Azalea smiled and Azalea looked into the chest. There were all sorts of colors: blues, red, shades of pink and bronze, even some jars had green. "What is it?"

"It's a cross between oil and wax." Olivia licked her lips hesitantly, and then she relaxed. "I can't taste either."

"Let me try some." Rapunzel's eyes lit up. _Her eyes,_ Azalea blinked hard. Rapunzel unscrewed a cap of one of the darker reds. She dipped her finger in the mixture and wiped it on her lips accurately, not needing a mirror.

She turned to one, and the contrast was starling. The color made her lavender dress seem so much brighter, and her green eyes seemed greener and they sizzled. Rapunzel was beautiful.

"I'm wearing this tomorrow." Olivia gestured to her yellow dress. "Any lip color suggestions?"

Azalea said, "Try light pink."

Olivia wiped her mouth with a damp towel that had been half-way in one the basins. She elegantly smeared a baby pink on her lips. She pouted them, and then added another shade. She nodded at the color and smiled.

Fernidia dipped into the tube and had a darker red than Rapunzel. She smiled at her reflection, and Azalea could see that the color made her eyes seem darker, giving her a bit of a seductive look. Azalea pretended to faint when Fernidia looked at her.

Fernidia laughed and said, "I hope I have that effect on Michael, Azal."

"What's with him anyways?" Olivia asked, tugged her dress down around her hips though it reached past her knees. "I've hardly seen him since we found the clearing with Anna-Beth."

"I don't know, but I hope he's okay." Fernidia smiled brightly at her reflection. She gasped. "I look great."

"You're not very modest, Ferns." A voice had them all look at the door. Anna-Beth was walking in, her eyes taking in the four of them. "You all look good. Did I miss anything?"

Candace was at her heels and smiled at them. "I smell something pink." She hurtled to the pile of dresses and yanked up a pink garment. She took off her dress, and a flash of skin made them all look away.

Candace stared at them when she pulled it over her head. "You all saw my stomach," she said pointedly.

"Every woman has a right to privacy." Azalea said. She smiled when she saw the dark pink gown fitting Candace. It accustomed to her stomach, and actually made it seem smaller. Her dark brown eyes appraised her reflection while Anna dodged around them to put on a deep peach dress.

Anna's gown made her eyes seem very light and her hair shiny. "I like this one."

Olivia and Fernidia exchanged glances. "Candace, try on one of the dark pink colors. Anna, you try the lighter pink."

The two girls followed instructions, and all the girls lined up to the mirrors. They posed and pouted at the mirror.

Azalea had an idea. "Pretend your betroths and crushes are right in front of you."

Rapunzel squealed and smiled brightly at the mirror. Olivia winked and Anna blew the mirror a kiss. Candace froze, and blinked in mock confusion. "I've got no one."

Anna rolled her eyes, playing along. "Remember the guard a week ago? We were about to walk but Olivia was waiting?"

"Oh yes!" Candace recalled and smiled dreamily. "He was handsome."

"Anna!" Azalea barked. "David?"

"I was picturing David as the guard, Azal. That's why I squealed when he moved." Candace ran up and pretended to hug the mirror. "David, come back to me, won't you?"

"Will do, my little Ace card." David's voice sounded at the door.

The girls screamed and turned to the door. Azalea gaped when she saw Nathan and Liam peering around David to see them. Rapunzel rushed at the door and shut it on David's face, still squealing.

They all fought to get their breath back, and Azalea could hear laughter outside the door. Olivia frantically fanned her face and Anna was bouncing up and down, giggling.

When they recovered, Azalea laid against the wall. Rapunzel still had the door closed and wiped sweat from her forehead.

They all exchanged glances, and then nodded at Rapunzel. Rapunzel opened the door, peered around, and stepped out.

Azalea and the girls followed suit and looked at the men. Michael looked dashing in a blood red suit, Eugene had his black tux on and a lavender flower tucked in the pocket. Dwayne wore a dark brown, almost black, suit and Nathan had on a deep gray suit. Liam and David wore matching black suits like Eugene's, but their flowers were different. David's flower was a red tulip while Liam's flower was lilac.

Anna looked at Dwayne and smiled. Dwayne smiled back, and Azalea felt confusion for a moment. "Wait!"

Everyone looked at her, and Azalea shielded her eyes. "You can't see us!"

Nathan caught on. "Oh right! We weren't supposed to. . ." His forest green eyes filled with mild impatience. "One of the guards told me. Oops."

It was like seeing the bride right before the wedding. _They can't see us._ Azalea thought.

Azalea peered through her fingers to see Nathan grab Liam's arm. The men followed him down the hall, but then they all turned on sync and blew them a kiss. Liam kissed his hand.

"Why did Liam kiss his hand?" Anna was asking when they all filed back into the room.

"His wife isn't here." Olivia explained as she walked to the hang her dress up. She took out the colors they all wore and placed them on top of the chest.

"She lives in the kingdom, right?" Azalea wondered.

"It's more complicated than that." Olivia concentrated hard on closing the chest drawer.

"How so?" Rapunzel asked.

Olivia looked at them. "She's not anywhere _we_ know." Her bright blue eyes dimmed. "She's missing."

Azalea felt the floor lurch from under her. "What do you mean?"

"She's been missing since yesterday evening." Fernidia spoke next, her voice soothing. Rapunzel started wiping at her eyes.

"How did they know?" Anna's questions were pouring out fast. "Did they have a child? Where are they, if they did? Is he or she okay? Where do you think she is?"

Olivia held up her hands, her eyes dark. "I have no idea where she could be. I knew because she was a helper at the library. Her name was Sarah Falto Derna. And yes, she and Liam had a child, a little boy. His name is Sage."

Rapunzel sat down on the floor, putting her head in her hands. Sobs escaped from her and they all crowded around her. "Why didn't I know this? What kind of princess am I?" She looked up at them with-

Azalea screamed, backing away.

They looked at her and blinked. "Azalea?"

Hands banged on the door and Azalea ducked to it and barred it with a chair. She looked at Rapunzel, beginning to shake. "Rapunzel?"

"What is it?" Rapunzel was suddenly in front of her. "Are you hurt? Did you. . ."

"Your eyes are green." Azalea stammered. She suddenly realized what her own eyes had beginning to tell her. Rapunzel's eyes had changed back.

Rapunzel hurtled herself to the main mirror and stared at her reflection. A gasping noise sounded from her. Then she tumbled onto the floor in a swoon. Olivia gasped and ran to her, grabbing her up. She screamed to her sister. "Fernidia!"

Azalea felt very hot suddenly and struggled to get to Rapunzel. The floor seemed to dance under her hands and knees. She hit the floor with a thud, and then the dressing room erupted into shrieks. The hands banging on the door banged harder.

Azalea looked at Rapunzel to see her eyes open a bit. They locked gazes, and heat flooded over Azalea again. Then the strangest thing happened.

Rapunzel's irises turned a bright gold, yellow as sunlight. Azalea felt dizzy. They both went pale and closed their eyes at the same time.


	61. Bad Visions

Chapter Sixty One

It was hard for me to open my eyes again. I could see Eugene standing in the doorway, his eyes were blank. I open my mouth to tell him to come join me, but I felt numb.

I looked to my left with my eyes and saw Azalea. Her greenish gray eyes were filled with tears, and as my senses woke up more, I realized she was clutching my hand tightly.

"Eugene, come here." I willed my lips to move. I could barely a weak smile grace my face when Eugene's eyes sparked with life. He moved to me stiffly. He looked at Azalea.

"What happened?" He asked her sharply, distress clear in his voice. I don't understand either. What happened?

I was lying on a bed, feeling two objects lying next to me. They felt cold even though they were in blankets. I could hear sobbing nearby, and wondered what had happened. Had someone died? Was it Sarah, Liam's wife?

Azalea sniffled. "I don't know. She was holding my hand, fighting through it. Then the babies were out, but she told me to get you." She breaks down into body shaking sobs.

I realized that my body was aching fiercely, so much to the point that I felt like panting even though I couldn't tell if I am breathing. Something must have happened to me. I felt emptiness in my stomach and felt abruptly hollow.

Eugene's eyes dampened with tears and he hung his head down for a moment. Then his head snapped up, and his eyes glowed. "The babies, are they okay?"

Azalea looked at the two bundles lying next to me, and shook her head. Eugene made a choking sound and grabbed them both. His eyes strayed to my face, and then he turned his head away. He looked down at the babies in his arms and pressed their foreheads to his lips. He put them down gently next to me and started to the door.

"Eugene!" Olivia called to him, her voice hoarse. He turned to her, and then to Azalea and me. I wanted to gasp, but I couldn't move.

Eugene's eyes were enraged, the hazel in them darkening, and his hands clenched into fists. He stalked out the door, and then I heard yelling and loud bangs.

"Azalea, stop him!" I wanted to scream to her, but I could feel my eyes closing. "Azalea, please!"

I couldn't move. I could only hear Eugene screaming my name, and two other names as well. There were loud crashes and the sound of glass breaking. People screamed his name. His cries of anguish and rage echoed through the kingdom, and I was forced to hear them, desperation to move or wake up increasing every second.

**Michael's Point of View**

Michael burst into the room, pushing past Eugene. Candace and Olivia were standing side by side, trying hard not to sob. Michael looked at Azalea and Rapunzel in confusion. They were both sitting up where he thought they had fallen. Michael thought for a brief moment that they had fainted under the stress of dressing up and trying on so many dresses. He looked at their eyes, and sucked in a breath. Fernidia was staring at Michael, her own eyes clearly begging him to figure out what to do.

"What happened?" Dwayne exploded, looking at Rapunzel and Azalea. Michael kneeled down in front of them, and grabbed Rapunzel's hand.

Fernidia began explaining. "I think Azalea hadn't realized that Rapunzel's eyes had turned back, and it must have startled her. Rapunzel fainted when she saw her reflection, so I don't think she knew either. Rapunzel's been running around the past week after cutting the flowers the other day, and probably didn't even know her eyes had turned back herself." Her voice turned high pitched with stress. "What's wrong with them?"

Anna-Beth shook Rapunzel's shoulder abruptly, stooping down to reach Rapunzel's arm. Nathan grabbed her by the waist and gently pulled her to him, and Anna began to cry on her older brother's shoulder.

Guy walked to Olivia and stroked her cheek gently, wiping away tears. Olivia bit her lip.

Michael couldn't take it, his mind was already filled with chaos; noise made it worse. "Quiet, please, I-I need to concentrate." Michael looked at their eyes again. They were blank and seemed unfocused when Michael raised a hand and waved it in front of their faces. Their skin was subtly glowing, and gold flecks shone in Rapunzel's eyes while silver shone in Azalea's.

Michael tried to come from behind the iron curtain of the command that Jacob had hypnotized him to obeying. Michael regained some of his senses to try and help Rapunzel and Azalea, as opposed to scooping up a handful of the glass and cutting Eugene's-

It was hard for him to think. Eugene was in here, and the glass from the hand mirror was nearby-

_Damn._ Michael thought. All his thoughts kept coming back to killing Eugene.

Michael waved her hand more frantically in Rapunzel's face, the movement helping him collect his thoughts. Rapunzel blinked, and for a moment, he thought she had come to, but then her eyes unfocused again.

The room was quiet as Michael concentrated. Michael snapped in Rapunzel's face, the last test and nothing happened. Michael bit his own lip and shuffled in front of Azalea.

"Eugene, call Rapunzel's name." Michael's voice was low as he focused. Eugene complied and began to call Rapunzel. He called her by nicknames and started talking to her about the beautiful gown she was wearing. Michael wanted to laugh at Eugene's topic but kept silent, the laughter dying away as he stared at Azalea's eyes.

He waved in front of her face, and Azalea's face melted. Tears streamed down her eyes and she stared at a fixed point behind him, her eyes becoming bright with such an intense fear that it made Michael's heartbeat speed up.

Michael called her name. "Azalea? Can you hear me?"

She opened her mouth to speak, and her body sprang to life. Azalea's hand grasped for her throat and she started crawling backward away from the point behind him and Michael looked back to see what she was staring at. He heard her squeal in pain and snapped his head back around to see her eyes blank again.

"Azalea? Azalea!" He waved his hand frantically in her face. Panic made him start shaking her. "Azalea?"

She was limp in his arms, and when he moved his arms to his sides, her body folded over. Nathan made a choking sound and rushed across the room. He sat her back up and stared at her open eyes. "Azalea, are you okay? What's happening?"

She made no response and Michael felt dread fill his stomach. He gently pushed Nathan back with his hand and looked around the room. Eugene and Liam were clenching their fists and David was calming Anna down.

"They're gone." Michael said, standing up.

"Gone? What does that mean?" Eugene barked, his hands wandering up to his hair to rake his fingers messily through it.

Michael looked at Eugene, and realized that he wouldn't be able to kill his friend. The command was strong, but could he override it somehow? Once and if he did kill Eugene, he'd forget all about it. Michael would need someone to override the command themselves. Michael knew in a second that he would be able to kill Eugene, but wouldn't morally want to. Michael realized Eugene was still waiting and answered, "Mentally gone. Look at their eyes."

Everyone shuffled forward and peered at them. Michael began explaining his hunch after a while, "It has to do with the flowers. There's a copy of _The Story of the Moon_ somewhere. I could explain, but not now. The flowers being pulled up must have affected them both somehow."

"How?" David popped back in the room with Stephanie in tow.

Michael gritted his teeth, turning back to stare at Rapunzel and Azalea's limp forms, "Like I said. I could explain but-"

Rapunzel made a gasping sound, her eyes rapidly refocusing, and then she was struggling to stand up. Rapunzel felt her belly with one hand, and rubbed her face with another. She gazed at Eugene with moist eyes and hurried to him, grabbing him into a fierce hug. Eugene's arms wrapped around his wife and he pulled her close. Rapunzel then pulled away and hugged everyone else, hugging Olivia a bit tighter. Azalea stood up swiftly with a moan, her hands going to her neck. She rubbed it as if she was expecting to find a wound, and then ran to hug everyone in the room.

Nathan hugged her and smiled when she ran to hug Dwayne. Michael rubbed his head, secretly glad that the two of them had come back so quickly, but then felt puzzlement. What had they seen?

Azalea looked at them and sighed. Something felt wrong as the men crowded outside to wait for the women to come out in their regular clothes. Michael could hear sobbing and hushes.

When they all came out, Michael walked over to grab Fernidia's hand, praying that she would somehow be the person who could override Jacob's command.

Azalea looked at the group and her eyes somehow seeming dark. Her hand reached up to stroke her throat again, and dread filled her gaze.

Another thing Michael noticed was that the gold and silver flecks were gone.

_Azalea's Point of View_

Azalea opened her eyes, confused to find that she was standing up. She looked around, puzzlement filling her. She was standing in the middle of the square, on a wooden platform.

The townspeople crowded around her and Azalea could see the maids in the front and the royalty in the back. Rapunzel's eyes were filled with hope from where she sat. Nathan, Liam, David, Dwayne, and Alex were in the middle. Dwayne and the others except Alex had rope tying their hands together, and instead of their usual gray uniforms, they wore a depressing black ensemble. Nathan's eyes were smoldering as he stared at her.

A cold breeze shook the platform and Azalea realized that it was raining.

There was a wooden table in front of her and Azalea recognized the minister from the trial announcement and her grandfather. An unfamiliar minister sat right next to them, wearing an out-of-place dark navy blue robe.

The minister from the trial announcement blew a sharp whistle, and the crowd went quiet. "Azalea Salta Gothel Dixon, do you understand your sentencing?"

Azalea mentally panicked, realizing that she heard none of the minister's words before the question. She felt her head bob into a nod, and then Rapunzel had tears streaming down her face. _What's happening?_ Azalea wondered wildly.

Her grandfather nodded at her and wiped at his eyes. Azalea felt her body begin to move to the stairs of the platform, but the feeling of cold metal pressing itself against her skin made her freeze.

The crowd erupted into shrieks, and then Azalea saw Rapunzel and Nathan struggling to her along with her friends and Eugene.

The voice behind her chilled her to her bones as it announced, "This is the proper sentencing, Minister Peter." The knife slashed across her throat, and Azalea let out a bloodcurdling scream.

Nathan and Liam yelled and then punches were being thrown as they fought their way to her. Dwayne shoved people out of the way, desperation in his eyes.

Azalea felt her mind trying to recognize the voice but the pain was excruciating and blocked out every thought. The knife was pulled away, and then Dwayne yelled a curse as he looked at the person behind her.

She tumbled down onto the ground, feeling warm blood soak into her shirt.

"Nathan!" Dwayne yelled.

"What is it?" Nathan didn't break his long enraged strides.

Dwayne looked at him, and for a moment, the entire world froze. "I'm glad she has you and not me."

"Why?" Nathan demanded, his eyes looking at Dwayne with incredulity.

"Because today I would have become a murderer."

Dwayne finally made it to the front of the crowd, and ran up the stairs of the platform. Heavy footsteps sounded behind her as the man ran and Dwayne gave chase. The set of their feet matched and Azalea's mind tried to click it together.

Nathan and Alex made it to her and Nathan scooped her up in his arms. "Oh my God, Azalea. Keep your eyes open, doll. Don't c-close them!" Nathan held her close, and then screamed to the scattered crowd. "Can someone help me? Please!" His voice started breaking. "She's bleeding! So much blood. . ."

Azalea tried to press her hand to her throat and gasped a cry of pain. Alex took off his shirt to press it to her neck, his dark brown eyes terrified.

Then the scene repeated itself.

This time, Azalea was watching from the inside of the crowd. When the man came up behind her, Azalea tried to back away, but she couldn't make her body move. She screamed when the man slashed at her throat, feeling the pain of it even though she was far away.

For a moment, Michael's face flooded her vision and she could hear him calling her name. She couldn't reply though, when the scene repeated itself and she saw the figure come up from behind her. She yelled at herself to run.

She could hear Nathan's conversation with Dwayne in her ears like they were right in front of her. She could hear the matching footsteps and her mind recognized a horrible thing as Nathan's voice pleading with her to keep her eyes open sounded in her ears.

Her eyes opened, and she ran up to hug Nathan, panic still coursing through her. _I had died,_ Azalea realized with a jolt of fear. _I was dying!_

When she walked out of the dressing room, she rubbed her throat as she remembered her realization when her mind matched Dwayne and the man's footsteps.

The person who would kill her was Jacob Fernando.


	62. Story of the Moon Explanation

Chapter Sixty Two

I looked at Azalea worriedly. We were sitting in the Dining Hall, only accompanied by Michael, Nathan, Dwayne, Liam, and Eugene. Stephanie waved me a 'goodbye', her eyes straying to Azalea as well. Dwayne glanced at Stephanie and waved. She waved back, then walked out of the Dining Hall, with Anna-Beth in her arm. Anna was looking anxiously at Nathan and Azalea, then her eyes looked at Dwayne.

When the door closed behind them, Azalea heaved herself to her feet, her eyes very unreadable. I opened my mouth to say something, but froze when Michael said my name.

"Come again?" I asked, blushing for being caught not paying attention. My eyes followed Azalea as Michael began speaking again.

"The _Story of the Moon_ plays a hand in this." Michael seemed reluctant to speak. "Does anyone know the story? I do, but I want to make sure you're all caught up."

Nathan nodded. "I know the story very well." He glanced at Azalea when she sat back down, holding a full glass of whiskey.

I stared at her in shock when she sipped it, then gulped down the whiskey. Not looking at us, she got back up. I looked at Michael and shook my head, keen to pay more attention. "I've never heard of it."

Michael looked down at his untouched plate of food. Eugene and Dwayne were paying close attention, and Michael glanced at Azalea when she sat back down with another full cup. "I could tell you the gist of it," he offered, his dark brown eyes cloudy.

Liam bit into his bread roll and smiled. "All right."

Michael began speaking, his eyes trying to clear up. What was on his mind so much that his eyes were unreadable? "The _Story of the Moon_ is about how the moon and sun assumed their roles. Some people, like priests for example, believed that the moon was supposed to be the sun, and that the sun was to take the role of the moon. They were both suns, in a sense. They were things that would keep us and everyone in the world warm.

"The moon was a sun, but was much smaller. People believed that the moon, sun, and stars around them had personalities and could talk to each other." Michael's quiet voice filled the silent room. "While growing up, you remember that people thought that everything in the sky had personalities and could grow as we do, the moon and sun decided to have a harmless bet on who could be the brightest. Many stars were jealous of the sun, because it was naturally brighter than the rest of them. Priests think that God had intended for this to happen, and why the moon is the way it is today. Regardless, the moon was much smaller than the sun, and tried to shine brighter than all the other stars. The jealous stars saw this and convinced the moon to absorb them to be brighter.

"The loser of the bet would always be second best to the winner, and the moon and sun told God about this, and he agreed. Now, though God controls everything, God knew how the bet was going. God's vision of the world we live in today would be that either the moon or sun would control the water and light the world up at night. The winner of the bet would take the sun's role. God had seen that the world today would need a balance between light and dark, I suppose for people to see the difference. Well, God creating the balance between the darkness at night and the light in the day created balances for everything.

"That's how we know the difference in people's personalities. God created the balance to protect all of us, so we would know bad things when we see them. Of course, now though, there was a limit on everything. Hence why no one can be too mean or too nice. But don't you understand? There was a limit on being the brightest and being the darkest. When things reach their limit, they stop existing.

"The moon absorbed the stars, and for a second, the moon was brighter than the sun and _all_ the stars went out. God was enraged, because this was the one flaw that the moon ever would have, and He decided that it should not be treated delicately. Because the moon had been brighter than every star in the sky, the balance had been broken and before that had happened any star could have been as bright as they wanted. All the other stars had never known about the limit, and were upset with the moon because now the limit was created.

"Small knowledge was beginning to spread at the time: No star could be brighter than the sun. Resentful, the younger stars talked to God and were allowed to freeze the moon with the shadows of our world, because before any of the stars had been created, no plants or animals were living. There was no light or food."

My mouth went agape. I felt abruptly glad that there hadn't been any animals or plants. They all would have died without anything to eat or light to guide them from predators.

Michael kept speaking, silencing the murmurs that had surrounded the table. Azalea was getting up for a third refill and I could see her steps beginning to sway. What had she seen? Had. . . Had she died too, somehow?

"Our world before, as I said, had been covered in darkness and the dark kept plants from growing to feed the animals that had existed before. To keep the darkness at bay, the sun was needed to be bright at day. However, there wasn't any light at night. God created the moon and sun, and intended for them to have the contest so He could figure out which sphere would light the world at which time.

"When the moon was frozen, the glow that it had absorbed from the stars was given to the sun, so not only the sun could provide light, it could provide heat. Which is why sunlight feels warm on our skin. The stars that had convinced the moon to absorb them lost all their light, and became dark stars* because of their greed for light and to see the sun at second best. The elder stars, the stars that God had first created, were aware of the contest between the moon and sun. Though the sun and moon had bet willingly, they both lost something. The sun was made to let the moon have half of its light at night, which gave us moonlight, and the sun was made to retreat every few years to let the moon shine*. The moon became the star watcher during the day when the sun was up, and was to make sure all the stars slept so they could shine with the moon during the day. Which is why we see stars with the moon, and not the moon by itself. The stars sleep during the day, which is why in broad daylight, we can't see them.

"As a gift from God, the moon gained phases, to make the world more beautiful and help the future farmers and animals. However, the moon and stars didn't become friends again because the moon had cheated on the bet, and the sun had won. Every morning when the moon is putting the stars to sleep, she cannot sleep because of the guilt of cheating. She sings a lullaby to herself, and some of the younger stars hear the lullaby and told one of the elder stars. They decide, in an effort to reconnect the sun and moon's old friendship, to create the seed for the sun flower and use moonstone for the fertilizer."

My eyes widened at his words. The sun and moon created the sun flower? Had they-

"To do so, they have to take a piece of the moon from all over it* in the daytime while the moon is asleep, and at night they absorbed a bit of the sun's energy into a flying rock*. The oldest star of the elder stars summons the clouds together in one spot and sends the ground-up moonstone all over the kingdom. Some of it is kept to put on the flower seed. The seed is put into the sky and sent down to our world by rain. The fertilizer is sprinkled onto the seed and it grows almost instantly."

Nathan blinked, looking at Azalea as she tried to get a fourth refill. "You, Doll, sit down."

Azalea put her cup down and wiped at her forehead. I could see wooziness in her eyes and felt even more worried.

Dwayne asked, "So the sun flower was created by the elder stars to make the moon and sun friends again?"

Michael nodded and then Liam wondered, "Surely the sun and moon would have woken up when they were losing their essences, right?"

Michael nodded again and explained. "By the time the elder stars thought to do this, our world was flowering with plants and herbs. The stars asked for a scout, we have no idea _what_ it was, some think it was a bird, to get the herbs Valerian, betel nut, and passionflower to knock the moon and sun unconscious so they wouldn't be disturbed in their sleep."

Nathan piped up. "Wait, wasn't there a bird that watched the flower grow? It was a. . ."

"A crow." Michael picked up Nathan's idea. "There was a dark bird that God had mistakenly made a crow. God had forgotten to change her back, and offered her a chance to be a dove. The bird proved herself by making sure the flower was undisturbed, and within seven days, the bird was made into the prettiest dove with the softest gray fur. That is where the kingdom got their idea for gray uniforms for the wardens, you see. The bird would peck any animal that intruded to eat the flower, but lured them to the flower. It was like the serpent in Adam and Eve*. It was testing the animals to see whether or not they would eat the flower petals, but would chase them away if they tried it."

Dwayne shook his head. "Which is why I don't mess with pigeons."

"It was a dove, not a pigeon." Nathan said, his eyes on Azalea's face. Eugene glanced at her and then at me.

"Wait, about the herbs," Azalea slurred a little. "Is that why they affect us so much? I'm confused, Michael. Why did we glow when the flowers. . .?" Her head thumped onto the table and she snapped her head back up to rub her eyes fiercely. She was exhausted.

"Rapunzel absorbed the powers of the only sun flower in existence when her mother was ill." Michael began explaining rapidly when he saw Azalea beginning to lose consciousness. "When you posed as her, you must have posed as her long enough for you to gain some of her powers as well. Which powers? I don't know."

Azalea nodded, rubbing her eyes harder. Liam got up to get her a glass of water.

"You know what I think?" Dwayne asked. Everyone turned to him. "I think Rapunzel's eyes were dark because the flowers knew they were in danger."

"What makes you say that, Dwayne?" Liam asked when he sat back down.

"Because when the visions," someone had obviously caught him up, "started, there was pain, right? Well, when you started cutting away the flowers, there was the pain again. So maybe the pain where the visions showed the flowers dying in all those different ways was a way of the flowers telling Rapunzel that they were in danger. When the flowers were replanted, and out of Jacob's reach, I mean because he must have no idea where they are now, her eyes turned back."

Eugene gasped. "Dwayne, I think you're right."

"And," Nathan started speaking, "the glowing. The moon is silver, and Azalea glowed silver when it was happening. So the flowers recognize Azalea maybe as one of them, or something. She's probably the moon in the story, Michael. Rapunzel's obviously the sun, am I right? The flowers warn each other about being in danger, when they're about to die."

My heart thumped in my chest. If that was true, then the visions Azalea and I saw today were the flowers telling us we were about to die-

"What gets them out of danger?" Eugene asked abruptly.

"Well, we replanted the flowers and everything went fine." Michael said, his brows scrunching in puzzlement.

"Wait," I said. "Why did more flowers start growing though?" I suspected it had something to do with me being with-child, but was that really it?

"I don't know, Rapunzel." Michael said honestly. When I looked at his eyes, I thought the clouds had gone, but then they appeared again.

"But the flowers must have known that there was too many of them," Nathan reasoned. "That was probably why the pain kept happening."

"And obviously, we can't cut them down." Eugene said, and I could tell that he would say 'no' to the rare chance that we'd have to repeat what happened the day Anna-Beth showed us the clearing. "So if there are more of them when I check tomorrow, we can't really do anything about them."

Michael stretched. "I believe it's late. Azalea's drunk."

Azalea opened her mouth to protest but nodded in resign. I stood up and looked at Nathan pull out her chair and scoop her in his arms.

I waddled to the room with Eugene next to me. He was staring at me. "What is it?" I asked him.

"I'm just so glad that you're back." He raised my hand to his lips and kissed it. "This, I missed."

I kissed his nose. "I missed you, too."

* * *

><p>K*H*W* <span>(go to my profile :)<span>


	63. To Forget

Chapter Sixty Three _Azalea's Point of View_

Nathan helped her off her chair. "Doll?" His voice sounded far away. Good.

"Are we going to bed now?" Azalea asked. She hid the slur in her voice well, but she couldn't hide her mind, muddled by the whiskey. She glanced at Nathan's eyes to see the forest pools burn with laughter, then harden in seriousness as he tried to figure out how drunk she was.

Azalea stiffened, wanting to pull her arm away from his but needing the support. She needed to hide that she was wasted.

"Yes, we're going to sleep." Nathan grabbed her by her shoulders and steadied her to the door. He paused by the threshold of the Dining Hall. "Do you want anything else?"

"A bucket of pineapple." Azalea smiled wildly when he rolled his eyes in amusement and opened the door. She walked through the threshold and grabbed on his arm. Did he realize how handsome he was?

Nathan looked at her face and rolled his eyes again. He carried her bridal style, not flinching while she played with his hair. She almost wished she wasn't drunk. _We could practice serenading._

Nathan stopped by the washroom closest to them. "Need to go?"

"Yes," she tumbled out of his arms, landing hard on the balls of her feet. The gentle rocking of Nathan's arms made her feel woozy. "Stay here, I'll be out in a moment."

Nathan waited for her while she fled into the washroom.

"Where's your Mother, Azal?" Dwayne asks her when she finally opens the door. She had heard the news from a devastated neighbor when Azalea had realized her mother had been missing for days and had asked if anyone had seen her.

She heaved uselessly, her head spinning.

"She's dead, Dwayne." Azalea snaps. She grabs him by the shoulders and shakes him roughly. "She's dead! My Mother-"

Dwayne wrenches himself from her tight grip and stared into her eyes. "What have you done?" he cries.

Azalea shakes her head at him, staggering forward to close the door in his face. She should have never answered the door.

"You've never been drunk!" Dwayne pushes the door from closing. Azalea backs away in time before it bangs into her knees. He closes the door behind him when he crosses the threshold and rubs his temples fiercely. He stares around the wrecked tiny house and looks back at her. "How could you do that to yourself?"

"Do what?" Azalea demands, her eyes narrowing in rage.

Dwayne snaps his head around from staring at the broken glass on the floor. "You made yourself vulnerable! Some strange men could have lured you someplace and would have overpowered you!"

Azalea stalks one of her tiny bookcases and knocks it down. It crashes to the floor and the sound is music to Azalea's enraged ears because the bookcase sounds like her heart had the day before: falling with a loud bang. She whirls over to Dwayne, and shrieks. "My Mother died! I am not going to sit around drinking tea while I'm mourning her."

"You don't go around raving drunk either!" Dwayne snaps. She sniffled and tries hard to fight the pain that begins to resurface. She can't do it; she takes another swig of the bottle that is still somehow in her hand. Dwayne stops and walks up to her. "Azalea," he coos.

She bursts into gut-wrenching sobs. "She's gone, Dwayne. What am I going to do without her?"

Dwayne rubs her shaking shoulders. "She's not gone, Azalea."

"She's not here with me." Azalea feels the pain double in size and cries until her stomach starts hurting.

Azalea tells him about the night before when she can finally speak.

She had ran from the house, looking around. "Pasley?" She knocked on her neighbor's door. Pasley was an elderly neighbor of hers, and most of the town news was always heard by her. Pasley even sometimes knew news before the minister did.

"Where's Mother?" She asked when Pasley opened the door. Pasley had known her Mother since she had been toddling. Pasley's eyes were dim and Azalea froze when she saw dried tear stains on Pasley's face.

"Don't say anything." Azalea said when Pasley opened her mouth to speak. Pasley looked at her with dewing eyes and sobbed.

Azalea stormed away, while Pasley yelled after her. "Child, don't go! Don't do something you'd regret, please!"

Azalea walked into a well-known tavern and ordered the biggest cup of whiskey she could find. The bartender stared at her with empathetic eyes and gave Azalea another one on the house.

When Azalea left, she had been in sobs, and many townspeople took off their hats when they saw her coming.

"Azalea?" Nathan knocked on the door. Azalea stood up, her stomach churning painfully. She opened it and Nathan grabbed her hand. "Time to sleep," his eyes were watchful.

Azalea pulled her hand away shakily and said to him. "I can meet you back. The yellow room, right?"

Nathan nodded and then stared into her eyes. "Not too drunk?"

"Nothing I can't handle."

It was a lie. She was fighting more useless heaves. Nathan walked alongside her when she started walking again.

She had barely made it back to the house, her vision going in and out in blurs. Something touched her waist and she flung a fist to the person. It was dark out, and she could barely see a man walking away. She wanted to feel pride, but felt only grief.

She unlocked the hatch with trembling fingers and hurled the door open. Everything blurred as she went inside, and she woke up on the floor.

The house was in ruins as she made her sleepily eyes concentrate on her surroundings. Glass mirrors of her Mother's were broken, books were burning in a fireplace she didn't remember lighting. Water from the sink was spilled onto the floor and spices were dusting the wood dining table.

Dwayne holds her close. "I'm sorry, Azal."

"It's okay," she mumbles.

"No, it isn't."

He's right.

She crashed into the bedroom, her eyes already closing. Nathan stared at her as she laid face-up on the bed. His eyes were sad. "Azal?"

"Hmm?" She could hardly think coherent thoughts. He crawled on the bed with her and sat up.

He stroked her hair, and stared down at her.

"You were drinking to forget something sad, weren't you?"


	64. Tears and Laughs, Yells and Smiles

Chapter Sixty Four Sarah's Point of View

She opened her eyes, dizzy and disoriented. One moment, she had been hurrying home after promising Sage to buy him a new Corona flag from one of the vendors, and then the next, a man with a dark cloak was asking for help to get to his house. She had followed his instructions, only to find out that the house wasn't his house. Her mother's old friend Pasley had lived inside. Pasley had died the year before after learning a woman that she had known since the woman had toddled had died.

When she had turned around, trying to run when she realized it was a trap, something hard had hit her in the head and something soft covered her mouth, and then her world spun away too fast.

"Hello, Sarah."

Sarah nearly jumped. She screamed however, and her scream had suddenly set up a ruckus nearby. There was the sound of thudding hooves against wood. The scent of horses filled her nose. Something wet trickled down past her cheek and she licked the corner of her mouth. Blood?

"Where am I?" She stammered.

"Some place familiar. I've always like blondes. Some did get away from me though," the voice mused.

"Does the name Frederick mean anything to you?"

She shook her head, and then wondered who she was talking to. Her head spun in dizzying circles.

"Don't worry," the voice chuckled. "It will soon."

She felt a hand on her heart, and choked on air. She tried to move away, but then realized that her hands were tied separately to something she couldn't see. Sarah tried to jerk her hands free, but ended up with scraping her wrists.

"You're going to forget who Sage is. You're going to forget who Liam is." The voice was hypnotic, and unlike Michael's mind, she couldn't fight it. She instantly succumbed to the command, and found happy memories of being with her husband and son quickly fading away.

"Someone will find you here, and you'll tell them thugs. Your name isn't Sarah. It is Joyce." The man was very careful with his instructions. "Remember this only, forget about Sage and Liam."

A flicker of her mind realized that soon he'd be telling her to forget she was here. She had to hold onto the little baby boy Liam had given her. She needed a trigger to keep, just to hope that if she heard the name again, she'd remember everything. The man moved away, and she couldn't see his face. The moon was almost full, but there weren't any windows that she could see. Maybe they were covered with curtains.

"Wait," she croaked uselessly. He heard her, because when he started shuffling to the door and heard her plea, he froze. "What's your name?"

"I shouldn't tell you-"

"Tell me, please!" She cried, wetness trailing down her numb face; she hoped it was really tears and not blood. "I want to remember my son, don't make me forget."

"You're going to, Sarah." His voice lowered again.

She stiffened, and then tried one more time. She needed to remember his name if nothing else. "What's your name?"

"It's Jacob."

_Azalea's Point of View_

Nathan was kissing her cheek. She opened her eyes a slit, and didn't move. "Nat?"

Nathan sighed. "Doll, you couldn't have stayed asleep ten for minutes? I wouldn't have minded."

Azalea shook her head and then winced. Her head was pounding and the bright dawn light flooding the room made it worse.

"Headache?"

Azalea dared to open her eyes a bit more. "Nathan, how do you know?"

Nathan kissed her cheek again, and Azalea could see that he had donned cotton shorts and a short-sleeved cotton shirt. "I never tell my secrets, doll."

Azalea smiled a little and rolled her temples with limp fingers. "Do we have to get up now?"

Nathan looked pained. "Rapunzel woke me up earlier, so maybe so."

Azalea sighed and kissed his nose, missing however, and kissed his lips. "Okay then."

Nathan smiled and his green eyes were warm. "I missed that."

"What?"

"You hadn't kissed me in days." Nathan complained. He made his voice high-pitched to mock her. " 'I'll leave Nathan alone, and then when I get drunk, I won't touch him at all'," when he met her eyes with a bright teasing smile, he changed tone and pretended to be prepared for a scolding.

"Nathan, you wished I was-"

"Before you say anything, let me clarify." Nathan paused for a moment as if to think. "Most men worry about their wives tying them to the bed when their wives get drunk."

"You wished I was all over you last night, Nathan?" Azalea could hardly think of what could have happened. She almost wanted to laugh, but she had to be serious.

Nathan smiled, unrepentant. "I would have enjoyed fighting you off."

Azalea almost stuck her tongue out at him when someone knocked on the door.

"Come in," Nathan's eyes were laughing when he looked at her red face. "Hurry, please, she's about to kill me." Nathan called when no one opened the door, looking back at Azalea to pout.

Liam peered inside, then promptly flung the door open. "Nathan, what are you doing?"

Nathan looked at Liam. "What?" He asked innocently.

"What have you done that's got Azalea looking flustered?" Liam crossed his arms and tried to be stern. Liam probably had about a million guesses, and thousands of them were probably wrong.

Nathan kissed Azalea's cheek. "Azalea doesn't like being told the honest truth, that's all."

Azalea burst out laughing, unable to hold it in any longer. Liam smiled and Nathan cracked a grin.

Azalea heaved herself off the bed, still laughing. She walked into the washroom to change into a bright color: orange. She put on the orange dress and admired it in the mirror while her fingers fumbled with the bodice laces. The sleeves were much lighter than the dress, and the bodice was a blend of both shades. She combed out her hair with her fingers and looked at her greenish gray eyes and was mildly confused to see tears in her eyes.

When Nathan opened the door that led into the halls, she was still laughing. Liam looked at her in worry for a moment, and he and Nathan exchanged glances.

Azalea opened the door to the Dining Hall, now fighting for breath. Rapunzel was waving her face where she sat, tears falling from her eyes as she sucked in breaths. The laughter almost dissipated when Rapunzel met Azalea's eyes.

Fernidia was giggling while Guy was looking mildly embarrassed. He sat down and took a sip of his drink. Olivia was smiling. "What's funny?" She asked. Michael looked clueless and shrugged his shoulders.

Fernidia put her head on the table to stifle her giggles. "Guy's not wearing his vest."

"What makes that funny?" Eugene rolled his eyes and Rapunzel's face was beginning to turn red.

"It's not like I forgot my pants, Ferns." Guy said crossly, taking another sip.

"Sorry." Fernidia apologized and looked at Rapunzel. "Rapunzel's laughter made me laugh."

Anna-Beth looked at Rapunzel, who looked like she was about to come apart at the seams. "Are you still laughing?"

Rapunzel managed to nod before she heaved herself to her feet, waddling to the Dining Hall door and grabbed Azalea's wrist flawlessly. Azalea followed Rapunzel limply out of the Dining Hall, trying to remember how to breathe.

"I want to curse so badly right now but I don't want the babies to grow up and speak bad words." Rapunzel muttered between giggles. "The herbs are making us feel like this, right?"

Azalea was still shocked at Rapunzel's first comment. She caught up mentally and nodded. "Yes, probably."

"Or we hit our funny bones," Rapunzel tugged Azalea to the library. Azalea burst into another giggle and eventually her chest starting heaving.

They were somehow still giggling when they got inside. Rapunzel laid down onto the floor and sighed. "I think I can't breathe."

Azalea got on her knees and looked at Rapunzel's red face. She felt her own heated face and nodded. "I think we're nervous too. We have to dance tomorrow."

"Don't remind me," Rapunzel groaned. "Never mind that the entire Kingdom will be watching me and my Mother."

Azalea laid down beside her. "Relax. You'll do perfectly."

Rapunzel looked at Azalea with serious eyes. "I have no sense of balance."

"You're just saying that."

"No, really. Before I was so much more coordinated. Now if I move the wrong way, I'll fall down and make a fool out of myself."

"You'll be the perfect fool, then." Azalea saw Rapunzel smile a little.

Azalea stared up at the ceiling, seeing the sun flower patterns. Rapunzel's breaths started to even out and then she slowly relaxed beside her. "Rapunzel?" she asked after a while.

"Hmm?" Rapunzel opened her eyes.

"Jacob wrote a flower on you, right?" Azalea asked.

Rapunzel nodded, and then winced. "He did it when he had me under the herb stuff. I probably knew it was happening, I remember a little bit of it."

"Can I see it?" Azalea dared.

Rapunzel rolled over and shifted her braid. "I hope it's gone," she heard Rapunzel murmur.

Pretending she hadn't heard, Azalea stared at Rapunzel's pretty skin marred by the needle Jacob had used. The flower was barely visible however, but the thought of the pain it had inflicted on Rapunzel while Jacob was writing made a lump form in Azalea's throat. "I'm sorry," Azalea sniffled.

"Don't worry about it." Rapunzel sat up, looking at Azalea.

Azalea shrugged and looked down at her hands. Rapunzel looked around the quiet library and rolled her eyes. She could hear footsteps.

"What?" Azalea wondered.

"Here comes trouble," Rapunzel muttered to her.

Diego turned the corner and peered at them. "Comfortable?"

"Yes, I've always loved the floor." Azalea said drily. Diego smiled a little and bowed to Rapunzel. He rolled his eyes at Azalea and she returned the action.

"I bet you haven't about heard this, Flower." Azalea and Rapunzel's heads snapped up to Diego. Diego looked surprised, and then turned to Azalea.

"People want you dead."

Azalea bit her lip. "I love hearing such good news." Azalea wanted to punch him, or better yet, get Nathan.

"People like me, and Mister Starnes, and-"

Rapunzel was on her feet in an instant and pushed Diego away. Diego's face turned enraged, but he kept his hands to his sides. "Get out." Rapunzel's voice was chipped. Diego tipped an invisible hat to Azalea, bowed to Rapunzel, and hastily left the library.

Rapunzel looked back down at Azalea, who was shocked into immobility. Guy wanted her dead? Who else? Azalea almost didn't want to know.

"Azalea-" Rapunzel started but Azalea held up a hand to halt her.

They had shared laughs with Guy. Dwayne and Guy had even traded fighting moves at one point. Did Guy really want her and Nathan and Dwayne dead? Azalea felt sick.

"Nathan, don't!" Azalea heard Dwayne shout and then Nathan was strolling into the room. Rapunzel flinched back when she saw that his eyes were hot pools. David and Liam flooded after Nathan. "Nathan!"

"I heard wrong, right?" Nathan demanded. He whirled around to pace the room angrily. "I didn't hear, 'Mister Starnes' did I?"

"I can explain." Guy was hurrying into the room, flanked by Michael.

"Explain now." Dwayne looked abruptly furious. He gritted his teeth when Guy looked at Nathan and him.

"You and your Flower there stole Rapunzel." Guy defended himself. "Who didn't want you dead at the time?"

"Quit calling her Flower!" Rapunzel chided. "I was called that a lot."

Liam almost rolled his eyes at Rapunzel. She stared at him with fuming eyes and he glared back.

"So 'who didn't want you dead at the time' is your excuse?" Dwayne snapped.

"That changes nothing. You wanted us dead." Nathan muttered a curse.

"Nathan, I did, I'll admit it. But I've changed my mind. I've gotten to know you-"

"You wanted us dead when we were complete strangers!" Dwayne nearly yelled.

"Stop!" Michael barked. Everyone went quiet. "Everything's changed since we first found out. I admit, we probably all should have waited before making judgments, but the past is the past."

"People only say that right before someone dies." Dwayne argued.

Guy waved his hands erratically. "Go calm down, the four of you." He looked at Rapunzel.

Azalea stalked sharply out the room and hurried to the gardens. She sat down, grumbling under her breath. She had known virtually the entire kingdom had wanted her dead. But when someone tells her that a person she considered a _friend_ wanted her dead. . .

She stared at the cloudy sky, and for once, she was glad to see clouds.

"Doll?" Nathan sounded behind her.

She turned and smiled weakly. "Hi, Nat."

"Being told I was wanted dead wasn't my best news." Nathan sat down next to her.

Azalea shrugged and grabbed his warm hand. He let her lean on his shoulder and sighed. "Definitely not my best news. I don't want anyone to-"

"How are we going to dance tomorrow?" Azalea wondered, cutting him off. She didn't want to think about it herself, and she wasn't going to let him think about it either. "The whole kingdom will be there."

Nathan shrugged next. He looked at the sky with reddening eyes and pointed at the meadow. "The flowers are there."

"I'm glad." Azalea kissed his cheek.

Nathan looked at her, and the sight of his eyes shocked him. They were very blank and sad. She kissed his cheek, then turned his face so that she could kiss his lips.

"I don't want to lose you to a rope nor one of those guillotines." He murmured softly. "My father died by a hanging, you know."

Azalea nodded. "I know, Nat. It'll be okay." They both knew it wouldn't.

"I can just see it."

She knew what he meant, and stifled sobs.

Nathan held her close to him, and then, he started to cry. "What would Father do, if he was me?"

_What would Mother do, if _she_ was _me_?_

Azalea couldn't stop him, so she joined him.


	65. Hardly Around

Chapter Sixty Five

I found Azalea sitting out watching the stars with Nathan. They were holding hands, which made me want to become invisible. There were empty plates next to them, and I had an excuse.

The heavy door closed behind me with a thud, and I could feel a blush heating my face. So much for being invisible.

They both looked at me, and while Azalea looked resigned, Nathan's eyes were fierce. I bit my lip. "Can I take your plates?"

Azalea bit her own lip and glanced at Nathan. "Sure," he answered for them. I tried to ignore his hostile tone, and bent down to grab them.

Azalea stacked them up and handed them to me before I stooped too low. I smiled at her with my eyes and hurried back inside the palace, feeling a bit safer for some reason. Nathan had a right to be furious. All three of them did.

Liam's voice made me jump when I walked into the dark, empty Dining Hall. "You're back?"

I nodded, not trusting my voice to speak. I set the plates down, intending to wash them. Liam was sitting down at the end of one of the tables. He struck a match next to him and lit one of the candle holders. Liam looked at me, and I was able to see his face. Was he-

"I'm sorry," my voice broke and then I gave him a hasty hug, "about Sarah, Liam. I'm sorry; it must be awful."

Liam looked down when he released me and sat back down. "It's hard, Rapunzel." He said honestly.

I sat down in front of him and went quiet. What was it like? To think that you had lost someone you loved? I hoped to never experience it.

We were quiet for the longest time. His eyes stared at the flickering candles and his lips quivered every now and then.

Liam spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. "There is unrest."

"What?" I blinked, my attention snared by his words. "Unrest?"

"Look at the candles." Liam nodded his head at the bright flames. "When a room is still, and the candles are flickering, there is something wrong." His blue-gray eyes were glowing when he looked at me. "Unrest."

I tried to keep my voice from trembling. The room was quiet, and with the candlelight and Liam's words, it seemed eerie. "What about if they're still?"

"Then there's peace." An unfamiliar voice behind us made us jump. I nearly screamed and flung my hand over my mouth. My face went cold.

Liam blinked and stared over my head. "Who are you?"

"Damn, you guys are jumpy." An unfamiliar man walked into the room and sat next to Liam. I could see his face in the candlelight. He had dark brown hair and hazel eyes rimmed with dark brown. "I admit that I'm hardly around, but hell."

"Who are you?" Liam repeated again, glancing at me in concern. What? Had I turned green?

"Michael's older brother, Adam Dawson."

We both relaxed. I had thought he was one of Jacob's friends. "Nice to meet you," my face was still cold.

Adam smiled at me, and for a moment, I saw Michael. "You too, Princess."

Liam rubbed his temples. "Liam Kilter, nice to meet you."

Adam looked at Liam. "What's got you down?"

"My wife."

Adam sat back and reclined in his chair. "She's sleeping with other men?"

Liam's eyes abruptly started boiling. "No, of course not! She's missing." His voice faltered on the word _missing_.

Adam sat up, blinking. "I knew her, Sarah."

I wanted to leave or I'd start crying. Was she okay? "I-I-" I didn't know what to say.

Nathan walked into the Dining Hall. He glanced at Adam and nodded. Adam nodded back, and then Nathan started looking for something. He rummaged through the cupboards and then started looking under chairs. "What is it, Nat?" Liam asked.

"I can't find my harmonica." Nathan said, "Azalea can't sleep."

_I can't blame her._ I thought. For all I knew, she had seen herself dying. It was painful to think about it. "Have you searched your room?"

"Found it," Nathan pulled out a silver object from under one of the chairs. He bade us a quick 'goodnight' and left the room. Adam looked at where Nathan had left, watching the door close.

"Something happen?" He was surprisingly alert and observant. I shifted uncomfortably in my chair. Liam looked down at his hands on the table, and then stared at me through the candles. _Tell him?_ His eyes were asking me.

I didn't let Liam explain. I told him everything: when I had fallen off the waterfall and Jacob had captured me, the fighting secessions where I was always shackled to the wall, when I had finally been able to run away, finding Eugene and how he thought I had left him, the pain the flowers had given me, how Azalea captured me, the way Jacob had treated me. I told him how Azalea and I were somehow connected while she was posing as me, and how even now we were still linked, how Nathan, Dwayne, and Azalea had raced back to get me, their arrest, how I fought to see them. When I was finally done, I was in tears at the unfairness of it all. They really had known that they were going to be arrested, but not executed. Diego telling them, and I hadn't even known that some civilians still felt that way, was uncalled for.

Liam was quiet in shock, and I realized that he hadn't heard the whole story either. Adam was quiet as well, but in thought.

"It sounds like Diego's a bastard." He concluded. Liam nodded wholeheartedly. Adam went on. "I could go around asking people if they still feel that way, so we know Diego's not making things up."

"No, it's true." I was dismayed when I said it. I recalled trial announcement day and remembered the hostile glances. It was still true.

Liam put his head on the table and sighed. "What's funny was that David and Diego used to be best friends."

Adam nodded thoughtfully. "I had no idea all of this was going on. I had been away in another kingdom when Michael had to hypnotize you, Rapunzel. I wouldn't have wanted them dead even when I had first heard of all of that."

I smiled in my mind, and wiped away tears. "What I don't understand is how Azalea was able to copy me. She looked normal, like she didn't have powers."

Adam went quiet when Liam started explaining the _Story of the Moon_ to him.

"Maybe because she's the moon?" Adam wondered.

We both went still in shock. What Adam had said made sense. I was the sun, because my mother had used the sun flower to become healthy again and the flower's powers had gone to me. But how would Azalea have been the moon? She would have needed-

"Moonstone," I moved first. "But where could she gave gotten it from?"

"The moonstone was sprinkled everywhere." Liam said.

Thunder rumbled in the distance. "It's late," Adam looked around. The candlelight suddenly seemed to become darker.

"Where could she have heard the song from?" Liam asked as he got up.

Adam stated the obvious. "Ask her."

I bade them both 'goodnight', not sure of my conversation with them. No guards were about, because at night, the guards focused more on guarding the exits and entrances of the palace than the hallways.

As I walked back to the room Eugene was sleeping in, I peeked out of the curtains of one of the palace windows. A full moon was shining brightly in the sky, and I stared at it while dark clouds surrounded the bright white orb. The glow of the moon touched my face, and recalling the _Story of the Moon_, I felt sympathy for the moon.

It had only wanted to be as bright as the sun, and for a second, it was. Azalea had only wanted Mother Gothel around, and for a second, she was.

The moon was just as important as the sun, yet it was overlooked. I had been more important to Mother Gothel, but Azalea was her child. The moon gave the night beauty, but the sun kept the world around us bright and warm.

"I'm sorry," I wished Azalea could hear me. Her life hadn't been fair.

Rain began to patter on the window, covering the glass with dots that reflected the moon. I stood there, watching. When I couldn't see anymore, I walked back to the bedroom.

Eugene was staring outside the windows as well. He looked up at me when I walked in, quietly closing the door behind me. No candles were lit, and I was glad because I could see his face. He was glowing in the moon's light.

"You're back." Eugene said the same thing Liam had said when I had come back from the gardens. "Everything okay?" Was he looking at my face?

I nodded and cleared my throat. "Worried about dancing."

"But why are you crying?" He enveloped me in a hug. He didn't move away from me when quiet sobs made my chest heave.

"Diego told them. I had no idea that," I gave up on the thought. "I never wanted them to know that they were wanted-"

Eugene kissed my forehead and we sat down on the bed. "Blondie, they're not mad at you."

I shook my head. "They are mad, though." Could he understand? "They were wanted dead by everyone, even Guy. He's normally the neutral one."

"We're talking about Guy," Eugene reminded me.

I nodded and then realized what I said. "I meant Michael."

Eugene smiled for a moment and then said, "I didn't want them dead."

"Really?" My sobs ebbed away slowly.

"No way, I wanted Jacob dead." He shook his head. "I still do, but that's only because he hurt you. Azalea and Dwayne and Nathan never hurt you."

"What about Guy?"

"He's impulsive." Eugene laid back on the bed. I laid back with him and smiled a tiny smile when Eugene wiped the tears away from my eyes. "He was worried for Olivia, you know they're betrothed."

He stroked my hair and watched my face. "No more tears." He soothed me when the sobs tried to start again.

"It's hard, I should have told them sooner than letting them hear it from Diego. He made it sound like the entire kingdom hates them."

Eugene went quiet.

"What? The kingdom hates them?"

"The women, of course not. The men are only thinking of their wives and their assets. I think they're thinking of being robbed."

I was quiet.

Eugene looked at my faced with his hazel eyes. "The only person who might have a right to hate them is you, Rapunzel."

"I don't." I said, almost sleepy.

"Then they'll be fine. You will always have a say in trials, Blondie. You could overrule a hanging."

"What about for Jacob?"

"I'm telling you that when we get him, order him to death, please." Eugene's eyes lit up. "And let me help with the hanging."

"I prefer guillotines."

"Why?" Eugene blinked.

"They're not in pain." I reasoned. "Hangings are slow, and painful."

Eugene stroked my stomach with a warm hand. "Any more kicks yet?"

"They kick at night," I made a face. "It makes me take too many naps now."

"I find it adorable walking in after lunch to find you passed out on the bed." Eugene smiled brightly.

I murmured something sleepily and listened to the rain. I hoped Sarah was warm.

"You get to light up the Ball with your dress, Blondie." Eugene's warm breath stirred hair on my forehead.

"Yes, light it up. Watch, they'll ask me to dance with a candle and I trip." I frowned. "It will be very bright."

"Why so negative?"

"Because I've never learned how to ballroom dance." I pouted, sinking into sleep.

"We'll take a ballroom dancing class before the ball, how about that?" Eugene paused in thought. I looked at him while he looked at the moonlight shining on the lavender walls. "We could get Michael and Fernidia to help us out."

"Michael's acting strange."

Eugene went quiet again, and then tried. "His brother is back, Adam."

"Is he going to be dancing?"

"He'll be dancing and he's one of the magicians."

"We have magicians?" If only one of the babies were here already to see a magic trick!

"He's the best, he can make anything disappear." Eugene frowned. "He's also good at pick-pocketing, he almost took my few gold coins that I still have. I thought I was the best pick-pocketer I knew."

I smiled. "Things change."

"That's not a good thing to change," Eugene frowned. "What if I needed change?"

I pouted. "Eugene!"

"Fine, I'd ask first." I saw him smirk.

I went under the covers, laying back on my back. "Time to sleep?"

"You say that like it's a question." Eugene smiled brightly for a moment when he asked, "Do you want to do more than sleep?"

"Sleeping will lose its value soon, don't worry." I kissed his cheek. Now I could see what he meant. Why wait so long?

He kissed my nose. "Night," he said softly, grabbed my hand. I squeezed his hand.

"Night." I closed my eyes.

**Michael's Point of View**

He ducked into the women's dressing room, knowing it was empty. Michael stared around, almost expecting his older brother to be in the room. He made sure. "Adam?"

It was quiet in the room except for the rain and occasional thunder.

Michael looked around, hoping his eyes would adjust to the gloom. Michael knew what was happening, but didn't have the will to stop it. Jacob's commands were too strong. Who else had he hypnotized, and for what reason?

He looked down near the main mirror and reached for the floor. Something pricked his finger, and he knew what it was.

Michael reached down to pick up a long shard of glass.

_Why did he do this to me?_ Michael screamed in his mind, trapped in a mental cage. Jacob was taunting him, laughing at him. Michael would kill Eugene, Jacob had made sure of it.

But Michael wouldn't forget. He'd find a way to make himself accountable for what he'd do.

Michael only wished he wouldn't kill Eugene any time soon. The side of Michael that Jacob had tricked into doing his bidding had too much control. The tricked Michael saw two different opportunities to kill Eugene.

There was the day of the trial.

And then there was tomorrow.

Michael held the shard in his hand, and tricked Michael concluded that tomorrow would be the day.

Michael needed to talk to Fernidia as soon as possible. She had to stop him-

"And the best part is this: You'll kill anyone who tries to protect him. Everyone, you understand? Everyone. Even if it's a friend who helps him, Michael. A lover, even. You'll kill them, and laugh when you see their blood on your hands."

Michael had to leave Fernidia out of it, but she might be the trigger. She might be the one to bring him back.

If it didn't work, the day Michael knew he'd kill Eugene, he'd tell her to leave the kingdom and not come back.

Michael closed the dressing room door behind him, smiling while the real Michael was begging to be let out of his mental cage.


	66. Nervous for Nothing

Chapter Sixty Six

"Wake up, wake up!" Olivia's scream jolted me awake. I sat up with a surprised shriek and Eugene startled on his feet from his spot in the bed. Olivia was pacing the room, still screaming. Fernidia was standing in the doorway, her eyes wide.

"What?" Eugene rubbed his eyes, his muscle tense. He looked around the room, stiff with dwindling tension, and stared at Fernidia. "What are you doing?"

I looked at her, and saw what Eugene meant. What was she doing?

"I'm adding fragrance to the room." She was holding a huge bouquet of flowers and was waving them up and down like she was holding a fabric fan.

Olivia looked at Eugene and finally stopped screaming. I sighed and rubbed my stomach. The babies were kicking fiercely. "Liv, what's going on?"

"Ballroom dancing lessons!" She grabbed me by hand and helped me off the bed. "Come on, you're late!"

_Late?_ "That's not good." Eugene sputtered as he climbed off the bed. "Can we have a minute?"

"I've brought you clothes." Olivia gestured to a stack of folded clothes on the bed. "Change fast please."

When the pair had left us, I had to sit down. Eugene looked at me. "What's wrong, Blondie?"

"I feel sick." I was suddenly nervous like the day before we were getting married. Nausea hit me pure and strong, and had me hurtling myself to the washroom.

Eugene opened the door, his eyes burned a hole in my back. "Want to cancel?"

"No, if I go without trying to know how to dance, I'll be worse than sick when I have to-" The thought had me retching. One of the babies stopped kicking.

Eugene rubbed my back soothingly. "You'll sweep the queen off her feet."

I went to rinse my mouth out, and sat down on the bed. "I guess it's too late to cancel anyways."

Eugene started putting on his shirt. "How did they know about us needing ballroom dancing classes?"

"This is Olivia we're talking about." It was early dawn, and I already felt tired.

Eugene paused, and then grimaced. "We'll be dancing for hours."

When we walked out the room dressed, I could hardly move. Why had Olivia given me such a tight dress? The bodice squeezed my stomach and chest, making it hard to breathe.

"You made it!" Azalea was standing in the hall. "We're dancing in here." She gestured for us to follow her and she led us to a new room. She was wearing a gray dress with short sleeves.

I ducked in the door after her, smiling at Eugene when he held it open. The room was spacious, the walls dark brown. I looked up, and felt my stomach drop. Chandeliers were hanging from the high ceiling, and for some reason, the candles were burning white flames.

Azalea turned to us, excited. "This is where the Ball will be."

I staggered away. We were going to have ballroom dancing classes in the room _where the Ball would be_? I could feel myself turning green.

"Rapunzel?" Nathan was close by, and I could smell David and Liam's familiar cologne. He tried to grab my shoulder but I pulled away. I was going to be sick _again_. I had already had my morning sickness, I was eight months along now.

The big room warped and I realized I was hyperventilating. "Rapunzel?" Anna-Beth was close by too. Just walking in, maybe?

"Grab her!" Eugene's voice faded in and out. Since when was I scared of dancing so much? The floor rushed up to my face and I quickly stood up straight, my vision blurring.

I hurried to a room that was in the ballroom, and slammed the door behind me. I put my head between my knees and struggled to breathe. A lantern was burning strongly, and looking at it, I saw that it had been lit recently.

I saw the doorknob turn and then Jacob poked his head in the room. Out of breath, I couldn't scream.

"Rapunzel?" He walked inside, and then the light from the lantern let me see his face. It was Dwayne.

I looked at him, and shook my head. "Do you know how to dance?"

His tense face relaxed. "The others made it sound like you were throwing up blood. You're okay?"

"Answer the question so I feel like I'm not overreacting." I rasped, my mouth dry. _I used to love dancing!_ Where had this sudden bout of nervousness came from?

"I can dance, but I'm only dancing for a few people." Dwayne sat down on the floor next to me.

The lantern light made him seem like a completely different person. He suddenly seemed far from being Jacob's twin. His hair was a pretty chestnut, unlike Jacob's chocolate hair. His eyes seemed a lighter gray, more friendlier, like Azalea's. His face seemed boyish, and manly at the same time. He had the illusion of a saint, and a boy.

"So I'm overreacting?" He hadn't confirmed it.

Dwayne shook his head. "Of course not, Rapunzel." He stared at the door. "I'm nervous, too, to be honest."

"Why?"

"Anna-Beth's out there." His lips formed a tiny smile.

I smiled and then thought about Azalea. "You're letting her go? Azalea, I mean."

He looked at me with kind gray eyes. His words stunned me. He shook his head as he said them. "She was never mine, Rapunzel."

I thought over that, stunned into speechlessness. Azalea and Nathan were clearly smitten with each other, and now Dwayne had someone, too. Where was Sarah? Liam shouldn't be alone dancing at the ball. She should have been with him.

Someone knocked on the door. "Rapunzel? Dwayne?" David was at the door, checking on us.

I got up to open it, and before my hand touched the knob, I looked back at Dwayne. He was looking at me, still looking nothing like Jacob. My heart ached then. Why couldn't Jacob be more like his twin? Peaceful and patient? I knew Dwayne had his hard times too, but he was always thoughtful around Azalea and me. He almost seemed at peace with something around the two of us.

One of the babies nudged my stomach, and I was smiling when I opened the door. David smiled too. "Dancing time?"

Dwayne appeared behind me. "Eugene's got you, Rapunzel." His voice implied that he was smiling.

I walked back into the ballroom, greeted by claps. I blushed deeply, and then Eugene was walking back from the huge windows. He turned to look at me from Dwayne, and smiled. He grabbed my hand.

Olivia and Guy were standing side-by-side in the middle of the room. The smooth glass floor underneath my feet was shiny.

"Liv?" I asked her before she started talking. Azalea and Nathan were already holding hands, standing next to Fernidia and Michael. Dwayne and Anna-Beth were next to each other, their fingers wrapped around each other.

"Yes, Rapunzel?" Olivia asked. She glanced over my head, and I saw my Mother and Father walking in. They linked hands and stood next to Dwayne and Anna. Candace and David walked from their post at one of the windows.

"Is the floor going to be waxed?" My voice broke.

Olivia nodded somberly and I stifled a hysterical gasp. I was still terribly nervous. Candace glanced at me and gave me an encouraging nod.

"Follow their lead. Nathan and Azalea, you two first." She pointed to Mother and Father. They began twirling around each other, and I saw memories flicker in my parent's eyes.

Azalea and Nathan exchanged glances. They watched my parents for a moment, and when they started dancing, the entire room gasped except my parents who seemed to concentrate on their dancing. Nathan and Azalea began to spin around elegantly, and for a moment, I saw Nathan close his eyes.

Azalea broke away from Nathan and began a dizzying spin. Nathan glided to her on light feet and took her hand, spinning her to him. She twirled very fast and crashed into his chest as he took a step back. He had his hands on her waist and they spun around the room.

The floor hadn't been waxed? It seemed like the two of them were gliding on ice.

Mother and Father stopped to watch them, and soon Michael and Fernidia were clapping. Candace and David began whistling and Candace was grinning ear-to-ear.

Eugene began whistling and Guy began tapping his feet rhythmically on the floor. Olivia began to hum loudly under her breath, and I couldn't do anything but watch. Dwayne and Anna were staring at them dancing, and then Anna began singing a lullaby that sounded familiar to me.

When Nathan and Azalea finally stopped, we were bursting into applause. Azalea blinked and started wiping at her eyes when Nathan grabbed her hand. He smiled at her, and Azalea smiled a tiny smile back.

They had been beautiful. The twirls and spins-

Now I was terrified.

_Azalea's Point of View_

"You're going to do fine," Olivia was waving Rapunzel frantically with a fabric fan. Anna was helping Candace into her dress. Azalea had her silvery gray dress on already, and fiddled with the sleeves.

Rapunzel's hair was braided after being combed out straight. Tucked between crevices lied pale lavender and white flowers. Candace's brown hair and Azalea's hair matched; their hair had been braided, and then unbraided and it stretched to their shoulders in wavy curls. Fernidia's dark brown hair was braided and piled on top of her head, while Olivia's blond hair was braided in one braid straight down to her mid-back. Anna's dark hair looked the most spectacular, small chunks of her hair was braided at her temples and the braid plunged down her back. The rest of it flowed straight and the braid had one peach hibiscus in the middle.

Rapunzel wasn't dressed yet, and was staring at Fernidia's deep blue gown. "I'm just worried about tripping. How did you two glide like that _and the floor wasn't waxed yet_?"

Azalea blinked. "I pictured myself some place special." In Nathan's arms, watching lanterns burn brightly in the sky.

"Calm down, Rapunzel." Candace pulled on her dark pink gown. "I got a bit bigger, can someone help me pull down the. . ."

Azalea bent down to pull the ends of the dress down. After a few tugs, Candace sighed in relief. "Thanks, Azal."

Azal nodded and then looked at Anna-Beth in her peach gown. "I wish they hadn't seen us already." Anna-Beth complained.

"They haven't." Fernidia smiled and ducked into one of the dark chest's drawers. She pulled out a rather large leather box and opened it.

Rapunzel had on her lavender dress and stared into the box. Bright white shimmers danced off of Rapunzel's skin. "My crown! Who put lavender gemstones in it?"

"I had it done after you had picked out your dress." Olivia said, taking out the crown gently. Rapunzel bent down to let Olivia put it on. "Here, Azalea."

"I get one, too?" Azalea nearly squealed in pleasant astonishment.

Anna-Beth smiled, looking at what Olivia was holding that Azalea couldn't see. "Almost."

Olivia put something light on her head, and Azalea touched it gently. "What is it?"

"Come look," Candace grabbed her hand and led her to the mirrors. Azalea gasped when she saw it.

On her head was a crown, like Rapunzel's, but it was made of silver and in the center gemstone, there was a tiny gold lantern. Azalea stared closely at it, and squealed. The lantern had a dark green spot on it. The dark spot was probably paint, but she didn't care. It was spot on, and reminded her of the one night she saw the lanterns in the sky.

"What's everyone else getting?" She turned back to see Candace wearing a bracelet and long necklace. On the bracelet, there was a white square gemstone with a red A on the top left corner. The necklace's gemstone was a shiny red ruby.

Anna was wearing a necklace like Candace's, but her gemstone was a stunning deep blue sapphire. She touched the sapphire gently, her green eyes misting.

Olivia and Fernidia were wearing tiny matching bracelets that had pale topaz gemstones in the tiny gemstone holders.

Azalea sat down on the floor, trying to comprehend what was happening. One moment, it had been Nathan and her gliding on the ballroom's glass floor, and now they were staring at jewelry with significant meanings. It was too much.

Someone knocked on the door. "Girls?" Stephanie peeked in. She gasped. "What's wrong?"

Azalea looked up to see everyone crying. Anna-Beth was sniffling and wiping at her eyes while Fernidia was sobbing. "What's wrong?" Stephanie repeated.

"Remember when you gave me a topaz bracelet and I lost it?" Fernidia cried. "I found it." She extended her hand. "And Olivia's."

"I loved mine to death!" Olivia burst out, struggling to grab her remaining composure. Azalea held back tears as she stared at the dark green circle on her lantern.

"We've got to stop crying!" Candace exclaimed tearfully. "We cry every time we're in this room." Azalea caught Anna-Beth and Rapunzel nodding.

Azalea put her head in her hands and took deep breaths. Hearing Stephanie's soothing murmurs and feeling her hand brushing back her hair, she was slowly calming down.

Within a few long moments, the room was finally quiet.

"You girls must be hungry, did you eat?" Stephanie was trying to shove normalcy in the room. "We'll eat later."

"After I dance you mean?" Rapunzel gulped. She helped Azalea off the floor, and then Stephanie urged them out of the room. Halfway to the Dining Hall, Rapunzel stopped. "I'm not ready!" She whirled around as if to make a run for it.

Azalea tackled her, catching her arm. "Rapunzel, you're going to do great." Rapunzel met her eyes, and froze. Azalea said it again, more forcefully. Rapunzel nodded slowly, and then her eyes started shining.

"Okay," she turned back to them. Rapunzel glanced at Azalea again. Bright moonlight faded into the room, and Azalea looked at the dim candlelight.

Olivia grabbed Azalea's hand, while Anna grabbed Rapunzel's. Stephanie watched them hold hands, and smiled. "That's where your courage went." She led the way to the Dining Hall.

Azalea grabbed the doorknob, breaking away. "Tonight," she started.

Anna finished it for her, and Azalea started grinning. "We live." She looked at Candace and Rapunzel. "We live tonight, before babies start draining us of our strength and willingness to dance."

Candace nodded. "We might never want to dance again after tonight."

Fernidia and Olivia exchanged scared glances and then they both shivered. Azalea opened the door, hearing silence on the other side.

When they all walked inside, it was empty. Olivia turned to her mother. "Why are we in here?" The Dining Hall's many tables were covered with food. There were all types of soups, frosted pastries, fruits, breads, and there was even a stuffed pig with an apple in its mouth.

Underneath all the food, the tables had a royal purple spread underneath them, and the eating utensils were gleaming with a freshly polished look. The wood furniture was polished as well, and all the candles in the room were lit, giving the room a dusky appearance.

"Back way, we'll eat later." Stephanie opened another door, though it was invisible in the dim candlelight. Rapunzel stared around the room before leading the way.

A hush greeted them as they all filed into the ballroom. Looking around, Azalea saw that the door they had entered from in the morning was way behind a crowd of people. Guards were all around; their white and varying shades of gray metal armor shining the bright moonlight. The chandeliers above them had bigger candles in them, and while some flames burned the normal bright orange, some burned white and pale lavender. They parted when Rapunzel walked through, and Azalea saw a familiar guard smile at Candace.

Rapunzel looked at the face, and gasped. "Adam?" He glanced at her, and then cracked Michael's bright smile.

"I welcome you all to the first ball of Queen Leah Amelia Duname Mendel and King Phillip Sabio Mendel." A familiar minister boomed in a loud voice. He was elderly, his white hair was glowing brighter than the guards' armor, and his voice brought back memories of going to church with her mother. "Welcome Princess Rapunzel Hermoso Duname Mendel!"

Thunderous applause greeted Rapunzel, and for a moment, she looked pale. She walked steadily through the guards, and Azalea saw Rapunzel's mother waiting for her at the end of the parted colorful crowd. Queen Leah, dressed in a deep lavender gown similar to Rapunzel's, smiled at Rapunzel, and grabbed her hand.

The entire crowd pushed back to the walls, and Azalea gasped when the candlelight somehow began to burn brighter. A hand touched Anna's shoulder, and Azalea turned to see the minister. He smiled at Anna. "Hey, dear."

Anna's voice faltered. "Hi, Father Peter." He had helped her through so much-

"Care to sing?" He looked at her and then Azalea. He cracked a bright smile, and Azalea felt suddenly safe. In that instant, everything was okay. No one wanted her dead. Her mother wasn't dead. She was in the room smiling at her. Azalea's father was touching her shoulder, and she could hear his unfamiliar voice soothing her.

Then the moment passed and Azalea had to stifle tears.

Father Peter handed Azalea something small, and Azalea recognized it immediately. Her hands tightened on the object. _My flute,_ she thought with a rush of warmth.

"Sing our lullaby, Anna." Father Peter smiled at Anna, grabbing her by the shoulder and grabbed Azalea's hand.

The crowd gasped when they both stood side-by-side. Rapunzel looked at them and smiled encouragingly. Azalea was glad that Rapunzel smiled, because though some faces were pleased, she could see hostile grimaces. Anna looked around, and found a certain face in the crowd. She giggled at something, and then glanced at Azalea.

"Time to shine," she murmured under her breath. Hearing her, Azalea nodded.

Rapunzel grabbed her mother's hand, and then Anna began to sing.

" '_O' Sun, are you there?_

_It's an old friend calling,_

_I sing to you if I dare'._"

Rapunzel and the queen started spinning. Rapunzel was smiling brightly, and her eyes were unfocused. Where was she?

"'_I know I've done you wrong,_

_That's why I'm now a stone._

_Not so bright._

_But you let me rely on your light_'_."_

The queen held on Rapunzel's hands tightly, and their eyes met. Azalea began to blow the tune into her flute, and almost stunned herself into immobility. She had heard the song before! She had sung it. She wanted to join in. Anna sung on, her voice angelic and clear.

" '_Do you think one day,_

_We'd grow a flower?_

_If you can be the seed,_

_I'd help you grow._

_Pieces of me could be the fertilizer_'."

Rapunzel glided across the floor, not a beat of place. The flutes in the band took up the song, and Nathan began to blow in with his harmonica when the musicians holding harmonicas joined in.

Rapunzel was beautiful and graceful. The bright moonlight shimmered on the crowd, and the candlelight made their faces glow brightly.

" '_I'd keep you warm and alive,_

_And you make the world_

_Beautiful_'."

On the word 'beautiful', Rapunzel gently eased away from her Mother, her eyes going blank and she graced the floor with a giant leap and landed on her feet, twirling in a circle. Anna gasped when she started to sing the next verse.

" '_Would it glow or shine?_

_Would it glow quietly or_

_Shine loudly?_

_I know I've done you wrong,_

_That's why I'm now a stone._

_Not so bright_

_But you let me_

_Rely on my light._

_Do you think one day,_

_We'd grow a flower?_

_If you can be the seed,_

_I'd help you grow._

_Pieces of me would be the fertilizer._

_Pieces of you would be the petals_'."

Rapunzel blinked hard as she and her mother danced. Azalea was beginning to hear the lyrics for the first time, and blew hard in her flute to stifle a gasp of her own. Was the song about them?

" '_Pieces of you and_

_Pieces of me._

_Would we make a flower_

_That could withstand anything?_

_A flower that knew innocence when_

_It saw it?_

_A flower that chased away the evil?_

_Would the flower protect its own,_

_Or leave them to die?_

_How would it save them?_'."

The violins began to join in, and the flutes stopped playing. Azalea put her flute down, stunned into silence.

" '_Sun, why won't you talk to me?_

_Don't you see?_

_This way, the paths we chose,_

_We were supposed to choose them._

_O' Sun, are you there?_

_It's an old friend calling,_

_I sing to you if I dare_'."

Anna repeated the last line, and Rapunzel and her mother stopped dancing, finishing their final twirl.

The ballroom erupted into applause, and Azalea joined in. Rapunzel had been graceful and confident. She had been nervous for nothing.

Olivia ran to Rapunzel as the crowd began to ease back into the middle of the room. "You were amazing!" She grabbed Anna-Beth and Azalea into a big hug.

"I loved the song, Anna." Rapunzel looked at Anna, with eyes that were rapidly refocusing.

"Where were you?" Azalea asked Rapunzel when Father Peter began to grab the crowd's attention.

Rapunzel looked at Azalea, and said, "I was in a meadow, dancing with Eugene surrounded by them."

She didn't have to clarify what _them_ was. The sun flowers.

Father Peter looked at the minister standing next to him and smiled. The minister gestured to the musicians, and another song began to fill the room. The lively tone began to sink into everyone's bones, and soon the crowd leaped into dance.

A hand grabbed hers, pulling her away from a couple that had nearly crashed into her. Azalea had lost Rapunzel, Anna, and Olivia in the crowd. She slammed into something soft.

"Hey, Doll." She looked up to see Nathan's handsome face smiling down at her. "Care to dance with me?"

She put her hands on his shoulders and got on her tip-toes to whisper in his ear. "My first and last dances are yours, Nat."

He kissed her forehead, and backed away from another elegantly tumbling couple. "Good to hear."

They spun to the lively song, their feet inches from each other. Nathan was smiling, his face bent down to hers as they danced. She kissed his collarbone, feeling the smooth texture of his tuxedo.

When the music stopped, the tone was jauntily and the men started tap-dancing on one side of the room in a line. The women twirled and taunted the men with a swish of their hips. Nathan was hiccupping with laughter when he saw Dwayne and Anna-Beth dancing. They ignored the men and women, dancing off in their own corner together.

Then the crowd merged together again. Azalea danced with Eugene, Michael, and Guy once. Liam twirled her in a circle until she was dizzy, then handed her off to David.

When the song finally changed, Azalea was staggering back to Nathan's side. Nathan was breathing heavy. "What happened?" Azalea asked.

"Rapunzel spun me until I couldn't breathe." He sputtered. "Damn, she's quick one."

The song was slow, and Azalea could hear many couples whispering to each other. "Like my dress?"

"It looks better on the floor, that's what he wants to say," Dwayne edged to them, taking a quick moment to make Anna twirl.

Nathan glared at Dwayne mockingly, who grinned back wholeheartedly.

"He has a point," Nathan whispered when Dwayne and Anna danced away. "Then again, my tux would look great on the floor too, wouldn't it?"

"New subject!" Rapunzel bumped into them. "Sorry!"

Eugene winked at Nathan over Rapunzel's head. "Everything that women wear will always look better on the floor."

Azalea waited for Eugene to get in striking distance and then flicked his ear. "Eugene!"

Nathan looked at Eugene. "See? He understands me!"

Azalea put her face against Nathan's chest to hide her blush. _Men._

"Women," Nathan complained when he saw Rapunzel blush, "we speak the truth you know."

"That's what makes it so embarrassing for them," Michael narrowly avoided stepping on Rapunzel's foot. Fernidia looked very red and Azalea flashed her a sympathetic glance.

The song went even slower, and Eugene nodded them a 'goodbye'. He and Rapunzel spun away. Azalea waved at Fernidia when they followed suit.

"Sorry, Doll." Nathan grimaced.

"Don't worry about it. One day, I won't leave you alone." She sputtered, blushing deeper.

"I look forward to it." Nathan chuckled, then went quiet.

When they had all danced for hours, the music finally stopped. Father Peter looked around the room and smiled. "Thank you for coming to the first ball of Queen Leah Amelia Duname Mendel and King Phillip Sabio Mendel."

The room applauded and Azalea could see rosy streaks announcing dawn flooding into the windows. She kissed Nathan on his nose, getting up on her tip toes, and watched as the crowd began to dissolve.

"Where are they going?" She asked Olivia, who was waving at her face to cool down.

"To eat probably." She smiled. "I know it's impractical since it is dawn now, but I hoped someone saved me a piece of stuffed pig."

Guy burst out laughing from her side and ruffled her hair. "I like a woman with a good appetite."

Michael ducked to mutter something in Guy's ear, and he blushed, going quiet.

_Men._

Rapunzel rolled her eyes, and smiled when she looked around the nearly empty Ball Room. "I hope I live to see more of these," she murmured to herself.

Azalea walked to one of the large windows, holding Nathan's hand. She looked out at the brightening sky.

"I welcome you all to the first ball of Queen Leah Amelia Duname Mendel and King Phillip Sabio Mendel." She whispered under her breath.


	67. A Plea for Help

Chapter Sixty Seven Jacob's Point of View

Jacob laid back, staring up at the ceiling. _An avid painter._ He concluded. Jacob jumped when a voice asked him, "Jacob, are you in here?"

Jacob glanced at the hidden corner. "William?"

"Fine, I guess that's a safe card, huh?" Diego pulled himself through the crumbled rock and up the secret entrance Jacob had found. He sat down next to Jacob, and looked at the pale blue bedspread. "Why are you hiding in here?"

"Can't go to town, now can I?" Jacob mused. Diego blinked and looked down. Jacob picked up unease, and instantly hardened. "Backing out?"

"I told you I hated doing this." Diego's voice was barely audible.

"Why didn't you go to the ball tonight?" Jacob tried to change the subject. It was halfway to dawn now, and the tower was dark.

"I can't dance with Stephanie." Diego whispered. "I-I can't dance with her, because I hurt her by. . ." He went silent.

"It shouldn't matter, William." Jacob insisted, already having heard the story. "Women are objects to you, are they not?"

"Stephanie was never an object, and if she was, she was a beautiful flower." Diego looked around, avoiding Jacob's eyes. "A flower that I had grabbed, and nearly killed by just holding it." He looked at Jacob. "You don't understand, Jacob. I couldn't let her go, she begged me to, but I couldn't let her leave me. I still can't let her leave me."

Jacob hissed. "Weren't you the one who told me what happened to your sister, Maria? Tell me, again, William. How did she die?"

Diego's eyes burned dark blue fire and he stood, his hands balled into fists. "Too far, Jacob." William was fighting back? Too bad he was trapped by the hypnotism.

"Tell me again."

"She was hurt." Diego glared at him. Jacob smiled and motioned for him to sit down. About time. Jacob had really worried for a moment there.

"Did you bring anything for the feast?" Diego asked quietly.

Jacob smiled. He had taken honey for biscuits. "I took honey."

Diego winced and looked down. They both knew he had added something to it. _It looked like honey, but once you ate too much. . ._

"Stephanie's fine now, Diego." Jacob attempted to soothe him, remembering the conversation before Diego's question that had meant to change the subject. "You let her go, she's not hurt anymore. Olivia and Fernidia are fine."

"But I nearly _killed_ them!" Diego started pacing the room, drawing in agonized breaths. "If I hadn't been yelling at him that day, about nothing, mind you, I wouldn't have been so mad! I wouldn't have pushed her down the stairs-"

Jacob silenced him with a sharp whistle. "You forgot why you're here."

"No, I didn't." Diego snapped, grabbing his attention. "I came to tell you that after this, I'm done. I'm going back to Stephanie tonight. I'm going to beg for forgiveness. She might never talk to me again, but I'll be back in her loving graces somehow."

"You'll do no such thing." Jacob lunged forward to grab Diego by his right ring finger. Diego froze like Jacob knew he would, and Jacob began to give him instructions. "When Michael kills Eugene, lock him in the Prison and make sure he can't escape. Get Azalea, and if I didn't kill her, you do it."

Diego groaned and tried his hardest to move. Jacob stared into Diego's eyes, watching as the sharpness from them slowly faded. _Good._ William was slowly retreating inside his mind, into a cage. William's deep blue eyes clouded over, and Jacob released his ring finger.

Diego would always been known as William to him. Diego was the name he went by now, only because he had hardened after Stephanie's accident. Jacob wasn't even sure if Diego had met his two children.

William had changed his name to Diego after he had nearly killed Stephanie while she was carrying Fernidia. William's name had hurt him deeply, when William had heard Stephanie scream to him as she tumbled down the stairs.

"When you've done it, come back here and hang yourself. Before you do, however, cut your hand and write the word, 'nectar' on any of the walls here."

"Why nectar?" William was struggling to regain control.

Jacob felt something pierce his heart. His eyes started to water as he thought back to the girl he nearly had. If only Alex had said 'yes', Jacob could have had his dream and his girl. But Alex kept Azalea pure, and the thought of her reminded him of two old scores he had to settle. One would be settled by killing Azalea of course. . .

Jacob realized he still hadn't answered William's question, and blinked. "Trial day is in a few weeks, isn't it?"

William nodded, and struggled to ask again. "Why 'nectar', Jacob?"

He meant Fernando. Jacob wasn't in control.

Jacob smiled cruelly, though he could feel his heart breaking. Which was good, because now when he killed her, he'd feel nothing. As long as Michael stayed true to Jacob's one wish, Jacob would get Rapunzel.

_Out with the old flowers, in with the new._

Jacob answered the question, frowning now. It was going to be hard to make sure that the knife would-

"Because that's what azaleas make."

Fernidia's Point of View

She looked up, unbraiding her hair. "Who is it?"

"It's Michael." Michael opened the door a crack. He glanced at her and nearly closed it back. "Are you getting dressed?"

"I'm just unbraiding my hair." She smiled at him. "You can come in." They were supposed to be eating soon. Right when everyone but Eugene, Rapunzel, Nathan, and Azalea had been in the Dining Hall, the queen had ordered everyone to relax a little bit. Which meant unbraid hair, loosen bodices, take off tuxedo jackets - Most of the kingdom that had attended the ball was already back inside the Dining Hall.

Michael opened the door, closing it behind him before he looked around the pale blue room. "Yours?" he asked.

She nodded and smiled wider. "Olivia and Guy have their own room."

Michael nodded at that and sat down next to her. He grabbed a small chunk of her hair, and stroked it. He smiled, and the clouds that had plagued his eyes were gone.

Fernidia melted at the sight of seeing his eyes: clear and tantalizing once again. He had almost seemed like a stranger to her since the mysterious clouds had settled in his eyes. "Did you want something?"

"Just your lovely undivided attention," Michael's eyes almost clouded over again. "I need your help with something."

She finished one braid and started on the next one. "What is it?"

"Can you help me get out." His voice faltered as he spoke, and Fernidia blinked hard. Get out where?

"Where? I don't understand." Fernidia said slowly. The clouds were back, and Michael was glaring at the wall, seeing something she couldn't. "Get you from where?"

Michael put his head in his hands, and she could see him biting his lip. "Jacob was here, Fernidia. He wants me to. . ." He looked up at her and she was shocked to see blood on his lips. "I need you to stop me."

"Jacob was here?" Fernidia hurled herself to her feet, going to the windows to peek through as if he was right outside. Then her mind caught up with the rest of Michael's words. "What does he want you to do? How can I stop you?"

Michael's eyes cleared again, and he was suddenly pulling her to him. "Do anything, just help me. I'm not even supposed to tell you, but. . . If I get to Eugene, I'll-I'll. . ." he reached behind his pocket, and Fernidia nearly screamed to see a long shard of glass in his hand. "He wants me to kill him."

Fernidia's blood ran cold and she gasped when Michael collapsed, landing hard on his head. "Michael!"

She bent down to him, shaking him roughly. "Michael, what happened? Open your eyes!"

"You have to stop me, Fernidia. You and whiskey are the only things, because if I drink, when I'm around Eugene I can't hear his voice. Jacob's too powerful for me." Michael's eyes opened slowly and she could see wooziness in his eyes. "I can only keep him at bay for so long. I was supposed to kill him last night, but you stopped me." He swallowed painfully.

"Michael. . ." Fernidia was at lost for words. "How. . ."

Michael sat up and put his face inches from hers. She could smell whiskey on his breath. "You can save me. If I kill Eugene, Fernidia, Jacob has me trapped where I'll forget everything. I'll forget you and Guy and . . ."

"He hypnotized you?" It dawned on Fernidia. Michael nodded enthusiastically. "How do you override it?" She couldn't let him kill Eugene.

"You don't, Fernidia. He learned from the best." Michael clutched his head. "If I don't kill Eugene, I don't know what will happen."

Fernidia sat up as well, staring at him with tears flying from her eyes. What could she do? How could she help Michael not kill Eugene? Should she warn Eugene somehow?

"Michael, I don't know how I'd. . ." He looked at her, and the clouds were gone like they weren't ever there.

"Anything, try anything." He pleaded. He grabbed at her face with too warm hands and kissed her lips. "You have to stop me, before I kill him. Oh, Fernidia, you don't know how close I was! I was right behind him, and the shard was. . ."

Fernidia silenced him with a tense kiss, picturing their kisses going so many different ways. Why did her first few kisses with him start like this? "I'll do anything for you."

Michael shook his head. "Don't say that."

"But it's true!"

Michael groaned, pulling away. "Fernidia, you don't understand! If I am at that point where Eugene is down and dying, anyone who helps him will be killed by me."

Fernidia nearly fainted. "H-how do we stop you, Michael?" Everyone was in danger now.

"Lock me in the prisons." Michael sat back on the bed, and Fernidia could see his eyes fighting the clouds fiercely. "I wouldn't hurt him."

"But how could I explain to anyone else?" Fernidia cried.

"You'll figure something out, Ferns." Michael put his head in his hands again.

"I can't. We can't lock you up."

"Then what do we do?" Michael nearly shouted, his voice rising. "If I kill him, I'll never live with myself. I would have to hurt you if you tried to help him. I'd have to kill so many people. . ." His voice broke. "I'll forget everything if I do kill him, and I can't forget you!" He stood up, biting his bleeding lip. The clouds were slowly easing back in.

"Michael!" She saw his hand on the doorknob.

When she heard his next words, she saw his face and saw the clouds more heavily. They cleared when he spoke next, and then they were back. And then he was already gone. "I can't forget you, Fernidia."

She sat on her bed, her unbraided hair loose and wavy. Fernidia put her head in her hands, and started sobbing as she felt the weight on the world crash on her shoulders.

For a short while, it was just herself in the pale blue room. Fernidia began to relax as the sobs ebbed away, and started wiping at her eyes.

Olivia came pounding on the door. "I just saw Michael leave, Ferns. I hope he told you to go to the Dining Hall after you unbraid your hair." She opened the door and looked at Fernidia's hair. "Come on, Fernidia! They all are waiting; what are you sitting around for?"

Fernidia instantly wanted to tell her younger sister what had just happened moments before she had showed up, but bit her tongue. Instead, she smiled and Fernidia hoped Olivia couldn't see the tear streaks.

"Go on, I need to loosen my bodice. It's hard to breathe and my eyes are watering."


	68. Seeing Clouds

Chapter Sixty Eight

I ran from the room Eugene had shared in. He had helped me loosen the laces on my bodice and massaged my ankles briefly, and then we both were hurrying to the Dining Hall.

"Hold on!" Eugene grabbed me by one of my flying arms and pulled me to him.

My reply was cut off by his lips slamming into mine.

"There," he pulled away too soon. "I've been meaning to do that all night. Time to eat?"

"Do you mean eat your face?" I tried to pull him back in for another kiss. He allowed me, for short moments. He pulled away again. "Eugene!" I pretended to whine.

"We stood here for five minutes."

"Sleep is definitely losing its value." I pouted as we walked on to the Dining Hall. Eugene held my hand, smiling at me. "What?"

"Nothing, Blondie."

When I opened the Dining Hall door, I was caught off guard.

And nearly fainted.

I stared around and had to hold Eugene's hand tighter for support.

So much food.

The pig was being served on silver platters, and many of the guests were already sitting down, waiting patiently. The usual length of the Dining Hall tables had tripled, and many of the guards were sitting down. Adam was handing Michael a plate of roast beef.

So much _food_.

My Father was speaking, "Thank you everyone, for bringing in a dish for the Feast this afternoon." How was it afternoon already?

I glanced at Eugene. "It's afternoon?"

Eugene blinked. "You don't remember practically passing out on the bed when we walked in? I had to grab you before you fell down."

A man wearing a purple vest with light purple sleeves, and dark purple pants was moving from every dish, tasting.

"Is he the taste-tester?" I felt dread fill my stomach. He was the one who would die if someone poisoned the food.

"Yup," Nathan was close behind him.

"What if someone poisons the food?" I demanded. Even if he fell ill, wouldn't Olivia help him?

"He dies." Guy said.

"_What?_" I cried.

"That's the price you pay, Rapunzel." Olivia shook her head.

"You wouldn't help him?"

"Of course I would," Olivia exclaimed. "But anyone who tries to poison royalty would use quick toxins. It'd be too late."

_Well then._

I walked in slowly, looking for Azalea and Nathan. Anna was holding a plate of fruit and Dwayne was beside her as he scooped a big glop of green beans on his plate. She looked back at him to smile and he grabbed the plate from her. Olivia and Fernidia were not far behind, and Fernidia's eyes glanced around the room often. Michael was behind Guy, who was behind Liam and David. David grabbed a roll of bread and handed it to Liam, grinning. Liam winced, and then smiled, shaking his head.

Candace touched my shoulder. I jumped; she had appeared out of nowhere. "We saved you seats." She smiled, looking at Eugene and me. Guards were sitting with their wives and children, and many of the children looked up at me to smile.

I sat down between Fernidia and Stephanie, who looked teary-eyed. "Stephanie, what's the matter?"

She looked down at her plate and shrugged. She burst into a fake smile. "Eight months along, huh?"

I nodded, not forgetting the subject; I could ask her later. "I feel like ten."

Anna-Beth grinned from across me. "Nothing new for me. I felt like nine when I was six."

Nathan rubbed his eyes with one hand as he sat down, balancing a large plate of rice, chicken, and gravy. "The ball was amazing." He nudged his sister. "I loved your song."

Anna smiled and looked around. "Where's Azalea?"

"She found the bread section, and then she found biscuits." Nathan groaned. "She's been there for ten minutes."

Eugene bumped into Michael when Michael was moving to his seat. "Sorry," Michael said. Eugene patted his back as he went to get us plates.

Dwayne looked at me from next to Stephanie. "She's probably trying to get all the honey. I don't blame her, honey is amazing."

I waited for her, thanking Eugene when he gave me a plate consisting of what Nathan had, except on the side it had pineapple. Eugene sat down on Anna's left. Candace and David were sitting across from each other.

Azalea finally came back, sitting in Nathan's free seat. "This was the only honey they had. I'm surprised no one found the biscuits yet."

"Ooh." I smiled. "Can I have half of one?" Azalea handed me half and we all started to wait.

Fernidia folded and unfolded her napkin busily; looking at Michael when he sat down next to her while Adam sat opposite sides to him.

Father said the grace, and then Mother announced that we could eat. I started munching on my rice while Azalea chewed on her biscuits. I looked at the half of biscuit on my plate and glanced at the honey. For a while, the entire room was silent as we ate.

Within minutes, conversation began however.

"Who made the honey?" Azalea was smiling. I bit my biscuit hesitantly, and nearly moaned. The honey was _amazing_.

"I have no idea." Adam was eating a biscuit, though he didn't have honey on his plate. I saw melted butter gleaming on it, and finished my biscuit.

Nathan stared at her while she was eating. "Did you get anything other than biscuits?"

I blinked and looked at her plate. She had gotten only biscuits and huge glops of honey. "She'll fill up nonetheless."

Fernidia was nodding, taking a quick moment to kiss Michael on his cheek. He glanced at her, and they shared a secret glance. Azalea bit into another biscuit, her eyes far away.

"They reminded me of my. . ." She glanced at me, and I tried to smile.

Olivia fed Guy a piece of pig, smiling when he snatched it from her hand with a quick kiss. "You've had three."

"I've got five left." Azalea leaned back into the chair, smiling wider. Her eyes focused again.

Adam looked at her. "Let me make one disappear."

"No thanks, Adam." She dipped her finger in one of the globs of honey. "I want to eat all of these."

Michael got up for seconds on rice. "If you can make money appear from my pocket, I'd love it. I'm short of change for buying things tomorrow."

Eugene glanced at me sharply and looked down sheepishly. I scowled and nudged him. He grinned and when Michael came back, he put three gold coins on his napkin. Michael started laughing.

David lapsed into a story of making bread in his father's bakery. I looked at the honey again on Azalea's plate, and blinked hard.

It was honey, of course. Something was off about it. It was darker than normal, a bronze color. I dipped my finger in the honey and tasted it. It was sweet, but there was an herbish taste to it. I looked at Azalea, and then looked at her eyes.

I got to my sore feet quickly. "Azalea?"

"Hm?" She looked at me and I walked around the table.

"Can you help me with something?" I had to get her out of the room.

"Sure." She stumbled after me. For once, I was quicker than her. When we made it to the washroom, I pushed her to the ground. She hit the floor, and while she was stunned, I grabbed the water basin and held her head back. I poured water on her face carefully.

"Rapunzel!" She shrieked, getting back to her feet. She squeezed her wet hair. "Why did you do that?"

"Don't eat the honey."

"Why, what's wrong with it?"

"Jacob made it."

She looked at me reproachfully. "How can you be sure?"

"It didn't taste weird to you?" She hadn't tasted herbs in the honey like I had?

Azalea shook her head. "With the bread, it tasted the same as any other honey."

"Don't eat the honey, Azalea." Who knows what would have happened to her if I hadn't stopped her.

She sighed. "All right. But how did you know?"

"I saw your eyes."

"What happened to them?" She held the door open for me. Did she really want to know? It was the same thing that had happened to Michael's eyes, though his hadn't gone away.

"Clouds."

She understood what I meant.


	69. Snow and Dreams (Happy 30,000 Reviews!)

K*H*W* (go to my profile :)

* * *

><p><span>Chapter Sixty Nine<span>  Anna-Beth's Point of View

She was lying on the bed, staring at the creamy nightstand beside her. So tired. Her eyes somehow closed.

"Richard? Where are we going?" She asks him, blinking as he holds her hand. They were young, barely eighteen.

"I can't let Lord Frederick see us." Richard, in his blue uniform, is cautious. "The kingdom is just being rebuilt, and riots are going on."

"Riots?"

"For the sun flower."

She stared at his dark eyes as the memory became a dream. "I wish you never left me."

Richard looked at her and a sad smile lit up his face. "I do, too. But I had to."

She sniffled. "I can't help but miss you sometimes."

He nodded, looking at the dark blue vest he was wearing. "What I wouldn't give for it to be purple."

Anna stared ahead, waiting for the tears to dry in her eyes. Instead, they leaked down.

Richard touched her stomach. "What I wouldn't give to be there. When is he or she due?"

"In one month." Anna looked around, expecting to see someone.

"I don't mind it, Anna." Richard touched her chin and turned her face to his.

"You don't?"

"Dwayne is good for you." Richard's warm hand cupped her chin for a few seconds more, and then he let go of her hand. "I saw your sapphire."

Anna tried to smile, but more tears fell from her eyes.

"I felt you think of me."

Anna-Beth tried harder to smile then. She grabbed his hand, and pulled her closer to him. "Stay with me," she murmured softly, "just for a little bit longer."

Richard grabbed her other hand and stared into her eyes. "I think of you every day that I'm gone."

Anna sniffled and smiled this time. "Why did you leave me?"

"I told you why." Richard looked down.

She shook her head, almost angrily. "_Why_ did you leave me?"

"Anna?" Dwayne's voice woke her up.

Anna-Beth sat up, blinking back wetness in her eyes. "Hm?" She could still feel his hand-

"What's the matter?" His gray eyes were worrisome, and his hands gently wiped away the tears. "Bad dream?"

Anna looked at him, and for a moment, she could almost hear Richard speak: "I don't mind it, Anna."

"Y-yes," she looked down at her belly, and then grabbed Dwayne's hand. "But I'm awake now."

Dwayne was sitting on the bed, watching the windows. He smiled at her with his eyes. "Welcome to sweet reality."

_Bittersweet reality._ Anna-Beth thought. She held his hand, deep in thought. Dwayne stroked his hand with her fingers, still looking out the windows.

"I think it's snowing." He got up, pulling her with him. Dwayne pushed the curtain back for both of them to see. Small, brilliant white flakes were falling to the ground, and from where they were standing, Anna could see the town slowly become blanketed in snow.

"It's beautiful," she murmured. Dwayne looked back to smile at her.

"It is, isn't it?"

The stars were falling from the sky, that's what her mother had told her that happened when it snowed.

Dwayne kissed her hand when she shifted from foot to foot. Her ankles were hurting. "Back to bed?"

"I suppose." Dwayne laughed and sat her down. He pulled covers over her before climbing into the bed himself.

"Dream of something good," he suggested.

Anna kissed his cheek before drifting asleep. "I'll try." She'd dream of chestnut hair and dove gray eyes.

"Dwayne is good for you." Richard whispered in her ear.

_Azalea's Point of View_

"Nathan, it's cold!" But she was giggling when he grabbed her hand and yanked her into the room. "Do we have to?"

"Yes, Doll." Nathan was grabbing her dress and shooing her into the washroom. She changed quickly, looking at the snow through the windows. "I don't have gloves."

She opened the door and Nathan opened the door to the hallways, already dressed in his deep gray suit. He paused and grabbed her hand again. He put his other arm around her shoulder.

Azalea looked at him and arched her eyebrows. Nathan smiled back like he hadn't done anything. "What?" He asked innocently.

She gestured to his arm around her shoulder. He looked at the moonlight shining into the hallways.

"In case you try to run," he explained absently. His eyes were smoldering green fire.

She snuggled into his arm, matching him step for step when he started walking. Within moments, she was leaning subconsciously into his shoulder and held his hand tighter. After they were in the iced-over town, Azalea finally asked. "Where are we going?"

"To the lake," Nathan emphasized the _k_.

Azalea nearly tore loose. There were hardly any villagers about, and the few that had seen them were between hostile and friendly. "The _lake_?"

"Yup," Nathan's arm around her shoulder clutched him tighter to him.

Azalea went into a panicked silence as they walked. Nathan picked up the pace, trying not to slide on the icy stone ground under them.

A woman saw them together and she smiled, grabbing her tiny child's hand next to her, steadying him when he slipped. She glanced at them again. "Azalea, right?"

Nathan froze and Azalea stopped ungraciously. "Yes, ma'am." She said politely, trying to get over her shock. It shouldn't been surprising if people knew her name.

"Is Liam in the palace?" The woman looked sad suddenly. The tiny child at her side stared at them with blue-gray eyes.

"Yes, he is." Nathan held her steady. "Need me to take a message?"

"Sage is asking for him and his mother." The woman bit her lip. "I don't know what to tell him."

Azalea had an idea. "Why don't you take him to the palace? Just ask one of the guards where Liam is, and. . ."

The woman nodded, relief warming her face. "All right. Thank you."

The child smiled a bit. "Are we going to see Father, Maya?"

Maya looked down at Sage. "Of course, dear. Come along, now." She grabbed Sage's hand tighter so he wouldn't slide around. Maya looked back at them as she walked toward the palace. "He looks just like Liam, doesn't he?"

Azalea smiled and said, "He does."

Nathan watched them walk along, momentarily relaxed. Maybe she could run. "She was nice."

"Most people here are nice, Nat." Azalea pointed out, strategically loosening her hand from his. She pulled away from his arm, still holding his hand.

"All right then." Nathan looked back at her. "Time to-"

Azalea took off, sliding and skidding onto her hands and knees. Nathan was not far behind, calling her name quietly as if not to wake up the cottages around them. The moon felt almost warm on her skin as she fled from him, and it was hard to see when she reached large patches of shadows.

"_Azalea_, come back!" Nathan skidded hard, landing on his rump, still following. She held back a giggle and gasped when she slid onto her hands. She crawled forward, her knees trembling from the strain of trying not to slide again.

She nearly screamed when she slammed head first into a bush, small thorns poking her skin. Nathan skidded right past her and she heard a splash. "Damn!"

"Nathan?" Azalea backed up, seeing pale white stars. Ice landed on her back and skin. "Are you okay?"

"My shoes are wet." Nathan was struggling to his feet from where he stood. Azalea realized that they had passed the bridge and were on the lake shore. She was at the exact spot where she had seen the lanterns and had nearly met Nathan.

"I'm sorry." Azalea heaved herself to her feet and kissed Nathan's lips. "Are we still going to glide?" Maybe he had had enough for one night?

"Yup," Nathan grabbed her hand again. He clutched it tight. "Sorry, Doll. You're not getting out of this."

Azalea nearly fainted. She wasn't afraid to glide, in fact, it was probably like dancing at the ball. What if the ice was too _thin_?

"Nathan, what if one of us falls in?" She asked quietly.

"Then the other jumps in too." Nathan smiled though his eyes were burning seriously warm embers.

She suddenly thought back to her vision of-

"Nathan, what would you do if I were to die?"

Nathan frowned, and his hand holding hers chilled noticeably. "If you were to die, I'd. . . You know, follow suit."

"What if we had children before then?"

Nathan frowned deeper. "Azalea, you know I'd stay for the children."

Azalea shook her head. "Okay, Nathan. What if you knew I was going to die? What would you do when it was supposed to happen in the next five minutes?"

"Azalea, you're not dying right now-"

"Nathan, what would you do?"

Nathan's face drained of color, Azalea could see it in the moonlight that shone on them and the rippling waves of the dark blue lake. "I'd keep you away from wherever it would happen."

"What if you didn't know where it would happen?" Azalea started to breathe fast. She started to ask more questions but Nathan quickly stopped her with a kiss.

"Azalea, _please_." Nathan pleaded. His eyes were shining with an unreadable pain. "Don't talk about death."

"Why?" Azalea demanded, caught in a frenzy. "It's going to happen to everyone sometime."

"Because," Nathan looked away for a moment.

"Why?"

"I can't stand the thought of it!" Nathan bit his lip, pulling away. He passed the shore, staring at the frozen waves he was walking on. "It makes me sick just to think of it." Azalea walked up to him, watching him pace. "I can't lose anyone, but it will happen at some time or another. I don't want to lose anyone, but that's impossible."

Azalea realized what he was saying, but balked. "What do you mean?"

"I gave my Mother my heart, and two years ago this time, she gave it away."

"She. . ." _She died_, it hit Azalea in a sharp jolt. Sadness made her eyes water, and her arms went around his waist while his arms went around hers.

She couldn't see, but she was sure that Nathan's eyes were smoldering with sadness.

"Let's not talk about it." Nathan murmured in her hair.

Azalea nodded. "I'm sorry I brought it up." She kissed the tears from his eyes that had fallen without him knowing.

Nathan sighed and sat down on the dry bank. She scooted next to him, sitting down as well. She grabbed his hand and kissed it. Within a few minutes, she was tugging Nathan to his feet. "Nat, come on!"

"No!" Nathan whined playfully.

"Nathan!" Azalea mimicked his tone.

Nathan finally stood up, and then he swept her feet from under her. He walked onto the lake, taking each step carefully to test his weight.

"Nathan!" Azalea squeaked. "Put me down!"

"No!" Nathan whined again.

"_Nathan_!" He set her down, smiling. Nathan ruffled her hair, and Azalea was pleased to see the green fire back in his eyes.

He grabbed her hand again, and then, once again, they were spinning.

"We're going to fall," Azalea breathed into his ear whenever he got close.

To that, he replied, "At least we'll fall together."

Azalea put her face in the crook of his shoulder, holding her breath. "Nat?"

The world around them was quiet, and when she glanced at the town, she could see many golden lights on. Small fireflies reached out for them, but stayed at the lake shore. Strange white fireflies that looked like more snow flurries falling were bold enough to surround them. Some landed on their skin, but just sat there.

However, their erratic spins made them buzz away, only to come back and hover nearby.

"Yes, Doll?" Nathan was warm.

Azalea was whispering as if the fireflies around them could hear. "How did I find you?"

Nathan smiled and chuckled for a moment. He pulled away, and she could only stare at him. His black hair was messily framing his face, and some strands were glowing brilliant white. His eyes were made dark green by the shadow casted on his face.

His answer was sweet and she didn't feel the guilt anymore. Instead, her heart welcomed the warmth it brought. The guilt was suddenly never in her heart. It had almost seemed like since she had posed as Rapunzel, her life had instantly improved. She was happy now, content with everything.

She couldn't think of anything bad. She couldn't worry about the trial being in a few weeks. She couldn't worry about Jacob still being on the prowl. She didn't worry about Michael and the clouds in his eyes that had never gone away.

Nathan made her feel that way. Nathan made her feel safe. Nathan was here for her every day.

His words soothed the ache in her heart.

"You became a princess."


	70. Broken

Chapter Seventy

I couldn't sleep.

Eugene poked me. "Still awake?" He sounded sleepy. Good for him.

"I'm going to get some milk." What I really wanted to do was go to the Dining Hall to sit in silence.

"Don't fall." Eugene muttered, rolling over. He must have been worn out from the ball, even though it had been weeks since that magical night. Now that I thought about it, Eugene was always with Guy training. Maybe they were training for if they were to ever meet Jacob face-to-face.

I walked from the room, shivering when the chill of the air touched me. I couldn't see any guards, and since it was so late, I hoped they were at home with their wives.

I felt a hand on my shoulder when I neared the Dining Hall and I squeaked. I whirled around, my hand clenched in a fist, and punched the person in the face. I heard a grunt and watched, momentarily frozen, when the person stepped backwards in a patch of moonlight.

Jacob.

I screamed and he rushed forward to cover my mouth with his hand. Sweat beads popped on my forehead, and I was struggling to get into the Dining Hall. My face felt like ice, and panic made me nimble on my feet for the first time in a while.

He let me go.

When I went in, I quickly ran to the kitchen part of the Dining Hall. I dug into one of the cabinets and grabbed what I was looking for: a frying pan.

When the door to the Dining Hall opened, I heard his voice. "Rapunzel?"

"S-Stay away from me." I felt a bit more confident but I was trembling. One of the babies started kicking.

"It's me," he walked towards me. I could see his face in the light and relaxed when he spoke. "It's Dwayne, Rapunzel. Calm down."

I exhaled in relief. He glanced at what I was holding and his dark gray eyes widened. "You were going to hit me with that?"

I nodded wordlessly.

Dwayne whistled in approval. "Damn, Eugene got a feisty one."

I put the frying pan back and sat down at the head of the table, still trying to slow my heartbeat. Dwayne sat down in one of the chairs, watching my face.

"Jacob really hurt you, didn't he?"

I nodded wordlessly again.

Dwayne scrunched his eyebrows, and then stared off into space. "I'd apologize for him, Rapunzel. But that won't do any good."

I felt a tiny smile grace my face and looked at him with tired eyes. "What do you think?"

"Of what?"

"Jacob."

Dwayne frowned. "I love him to death, but, damn, he needs someone to knock some sense into him." He looked at me seriously. "If he does anything to anyone else, I'm beating the hell out of him. Then he'll listen." Wistfulness clouded his eyes. He sighed. "Like I'd ever get the chance though. Jacob's the one who stops only for a little while to get his bearings, and then he's on the move for a long time."

My voice sounded loud in the quiet room. "Do you think he might know where Sarah is?"

Dwayne whistled, though this time in disapproval. "He likes the blondes, and he's into kidnapping. I wouldn't be surprised."

Anger hardened his voice. "I hope she's safe from him."

Dwayne didn't bother to light any candles, and the dark was almost pleasant. I looked at him, and then thought of Anna-Beth. "Don't you sleep with Anna?"

Dwayne shook his head. "No. She has trouble sleeping alone though she doesn't know it. I just go back to Jacob's house." The anger reappeared in his voice. "He's not there."

"What do you mean?"

"He hasn't been there in a while."

I shook my head. "That's not good."

"No kidding. I checked Azalea's house, and he's not there either. I have no idea. . ." Dwayne put his head in his hands, moaning. "My brother is such a _bastard_."

"He should be the one on trial instead of the three of you," Adam's voice sounded behind me. He put his hand on my shoulder and I shrieked. A small hand covered my mouth before the sound registered in anyone's ears and I smelled perfume.

_Fernidia?_

"Good Midnight," Fernidia sat down in an empty seat across from Dwayne. Adam sat down next to her. "Can't sleep?"

I had to slow down my heart again. "I'll never sleep if you guys keep popping up on me like this."

"Sorry," Adam was smiling and I could see a candle lit in his hand. He set it down on the table when he sat down.

Fernidia looked at the smile, and I could see pain in her eyes. She looked back at me, her eyes begging for a conversation. I gave it to her.

"The babies kick too much."

"That's good, right?" Adam wondered. "It means they're alive in there."

"Adam!" Fernidia slapped his shoulder. Dwayne smiled at Adam and they both shared a grin.

"I thought that if babies kicked, it meant they wanted out." Dwayne frowned at his own logic.

"Who told you that?" Fernidia asked.

"A bastard." Dwayne rolled his eyes. "Adam, where have you been all this time?" Dwayne took charge of the conversation.

"I'm a noble." Adam said it like he was telling us if it was raining outside.

"Right, but where have you been?"

"I'm a noble guard." Adam specified. "I only show up a few times. I was at another kingdom for some time. I'm a wonderful magician."

"Show us a magic trick." Fernidia squealed.

Adam smiled and stood up. "All right. Can I get a volunteer?" I raised my hand. Fernidia smiled at me.

Adam grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet. "What are we doing?" I asked.

"We're going to make a gold coin fall out of Dwayne's hair." Adam held up a gold coin and then asked Dwayne. "When did you wash your hair?"

"I fell in a snow patch earlier, so it's clean." Dwayne smiled. Fernidia laughed.

Adam moved his hands over the gold coin, and then it was gone. I squeaked and watched in wonder when Adam told Fernidia, "Search him."

Fernidia stood up and looked at Dwayne shyly. Dwayne encouraged her. "No pulling, I love my curls."

Adam and I laughed and then I gasped when Fernidia touched the top of Dwayne's head to pull out Adam's gold coin. She handed it to Adam.

Dwayne and I started clapping. Adam took the coin from Fernidia and kissed her hand. "Good job, fair maiden."

Fernidia nodded, somehow looking more shy, and sat back down, I sat down next to her this time while Adam took my seat.

"I also love robbing people. Dwayne, this was your coin."

Dwayne cursed and grabbed his coin back. I looked at Adam and momentarily panicked. Here we go. Another pickpocketing Eugene.

Adam smiled and confirmed my fears. "Eugene taught me this."

"Damn!" Dwayne put his head on the table. "That's where all my gold coins have been going."

"I can get them back." I said. I had an idea. Sleep wasn't an option.

"How?" Dwayne looked at me, and his eyes flew wide. He stood up and grabbed Fernidia's hand. "Adam, come on. I don't like that look on her face."

"What do you mean?" I was just smiling.

"You've got an evil grin on your face, Rapunzel." Adam winced as he stood up.

"I can't _smile_?"

"That's not smiling." Fernidia gasped. She was hurrying to the door. "Your face is saying something bad."

"I'm just going to get his coins back!" I hurried after them, taking a moment to blow out the candle.

"You'll do more than get coins." Adam pointed out. He was already halfway down the hall.

"Adam!" I complained.

"Tell me I'm lying."

I went quiet.

"Damn!" Dwayne started running.

Fernidia stopped and turned around to walk to me. She gave me a hug. "Need help?"

"Just grab the coins, I've got the rest."

Fernidia smiled, but the pain in her eyes was still there. "Trial is a few days away now."

I frowned. "It's going to be so hard." The sentences they could get. . .

Fernidia opened the bedroom door for me. Her eyes were sad.

"Don't put them to death, Rapunzel."

"Of course not."

"People won't like it."

"It's my decision though, Ferns." I appreciated her trying to warn me.

Fernidia looked down. "Bad things are going to happen, Rapunzel."

"I know they'll lose things." I tried to stop sudden tears.

Fernidia grabbed the coins from the washroom. I had seen them earlier and thought Eugene had helped someone in town and had gotten paid. Silly me.

"They'll be seen as criminals again."

Where had this sudden negativity come from? "I know that." I had already met with Father Peter and Father Dante. The three of us, with my father's approval, had sentenced them already. I couldn't tell Fernidia that.

I watched her walk out the door, and when the moonlight touched her, I suddenly _saw_ Fernidia. She was walking with hunched shoulders, and I could see her hands wiping at her eyes. It was clear now. She was broken.

What had broken her? Next to Stephanie and Azalea, Fernidia was the strongest person I knew.


	71. Bitter Nectar

Chapter Seventy One _Azalea's Point of View_

She stared at Nathan when he sat down on the pale yellow bed. The trial was tomorrow. She could feel the air around them charging with heat. She tried not to tremble as she thought of what her sentence would be.

"Night, Doll." Nathan pulled the covers over him. He looked at her, fully dressed and pale. "You're worried, aren't you?"

She nodded stiffly. She could feel her hands sweating. Nathan ruffled her hair. "You'll be perfectly fine."

"H-how do you know?" She was going to die tomorrow. The memory of the sensation of bleeding made her skin prickle.

"Because God loves you." Nathan smiled and kissed her temple. "Don't worry, okay?"

"I wish I could forget about it." Azalea looked at him.

"You can if you want to."

She kissed his cheek, moving to his lips. "Help me."

"Hm?" Nathan gently stroked her hair.

"Help me forget." Azalea sat up, turning to him. Her hands went up into his hair. Her kisses were become more heated, almost like fire. Nathan first tried to pull away, and then she could feel him melting in her hands.

His hands tangled in her hair, and then they were spinning, rolling off of the bed. She fought to breathe as a strange longing flooded over the both of them. She needed him to make her forget so many things-

Azalea untangled her hands from his hair and grabbed his shoulders. She pulled him back on the bed, and then everything was spinning harder. His lips cradled hers, and she could feel the rush heating her face.

After a few intense moments, Nathan tried to come to his senses. "Doll, stop." Nathan tried to push her away to the other side of the bed. She latched onto him, slamming her lips back to his. "Doll!" His kisses felt like a fire, and it burned so good.

"Make me forget, Nathan." Azalea clung to him, removing her lips to gasp. "Make me forget that I might go back to that awful check-in again. Make me forget Jacob." She kissed him for a moment. "Make me forget my name, please."

Nathan was stunned into immobility by her pleas, and didn't stop her when she tried to tug off his cotton shirt – if she had known she was going to do this, she would have put something prettier on for him to take off. She was hurting deep inside, torn open by the knowledge that she would die tomorrow. She just needed this one taste of heaven, this one glance at the beautiful world floating above her.

"Doll, no." Nathan grabbed her hands and put them at her sides. She could see it in his burning green eyes; he wanted it, too. He wanted to see the stars.

"Why?" She tried to stop the tears from spilling over. She tried to kiss him again, and he leaned back. Azalea bit her lip.

Nathan slowed his breathing and his eyes slowly cooled. He sat back against the bedpost, looking at her. "You know why."

She shook her head. "I don't, Nathan." She sat back next to him, staring at the windows on the right side of the wall so he wouldn't see her cry.

"Doll." Nathan grabbed her chin and turned her face to him. She closed her eyes blissfully when he kissed the tears away.

"I can't, because if something were to happen to one of us tomorrow," she saw him wince slightly and his eyes clouded over for a moment. She knew he was thinking back to his father's death. His words made the clouds vanish. "If something were to happen to one of us tomorrow, then this night would be bittersweet."

He pulled the ruffled covers over them. She met his eyes when he laid down. He stroked her hair.

"And I want it to be sweet, Doll. As sweet as your name."

Nathan kissed her cheek.

**Michael's Point of View**

"Damn, you!" Michael knocked down the vase in his room. He bit his lip, hearing Jacob laughing at him. He punched the wall, not flinching when his fist went through.

He couldn't kill Eugene tomorrow. He couldn't.

He tossed a chair at the wall with the hole in it, begging for the noise that might bring him back to his right mind. The crash was refreshing, but he was still trapped.

"Michael?" Adam was knocking on the door.

"Go away!" Michael yelled, ripping a picture frame off the wall and throwing it at the wooden door. He heard a thud, and then Adam was walking away quickly.

"Damn it, Jacob! Damn _you_!" Michael had to get Jacob's command out of his head. He was going crazy hearing the voice telling him to kill Eugene. Fernidia would protect Eugene, Michael knew it.

When Michael finally calmed down, his room was a mess. Broken furniture and glass littered the floor. His bedspread was burning in the living room fireplace.

Adam was nowhere to be found. Good.

Michael sat down on the floor, his head in his bleeding hands. He had cut his right hand when punching the mirror on his dresser. That had brought him back some, but then he pictured throwing Eugene at the glass and watching him bleed.

A soft knock on the door made him get up. If it was Adam, Michael didn't know what he would do.

He opened the door with his left hand. A familiar woman was standing at the door. She was dirty, her hair was matted and she smelled of horse.

"Sarah?" Michael was dumbfounded.

"It's Joyce, sir." Sarah walked into the room.

Michael shook his head. "Your name is Sarah."

"Whatever you say. A man told me my name was Joyce." Sarah sat down at the table, looking at the burning bedspread.

"Your husband's name is Liam. You have a son." Michael sat down as well, not knowing what to do with his right hand.

"The trial is tomorrow." Sarah acted like he hadn't spoken. "Am I invited?"

"It's not a party, Sarah." Michael pointed out. He was so close-

"I'm going to it, just so you know. A man told me to."

"Who is this man?" Michael was _so_ close-

"I can't remember his name." Sarah stood up. She unnecessarily curtsied to Michael, and then she was gone.

Michael walked to her, but then the need to walk to Sarah was gone. He went back into his room, and then this time. . .

He cut his left hand. If only it could bring him back.

_Azalea's Point of View_

Liam shook her awake. "Azalea?"

She jumped up, dread flowing over her. Not bidding him 'good morning', she hurried to the washroom and started retching.

She was going to die today.

There were so many people she hadn't told 'goodbye'-

David was fully dressed and had been a blur of black when she rushed past him.

Nathan knocked on the door. "Doll?"

Azalea couldn't stop heaving. She moaned, "D-Don't come in. . ."

She could hear them talking. "What's wrong with her?" Liam wondered.

"Well, she's retching, Liam." David barked. She heard his footsteps move rapidly and assumed he was pacing. "I don't blame her for being nervous."

"I saw Sage." Liam's voice was suddenly happy. "Oh God, I hadn't seen him in so long."

Nathan's voice sounded like he was smiling. "That's good. He's not going to the trial, is he?"

Liam must have shaken his head, because they moved to a different topic. "Candace and Anna-Beth are already in the square at the front. Want to cheer us on, I guess."

Dwayne's voice sounded in the room. "Where's Azalea?"

"Washroom." Liam explained.

"She's ill?"

"If you mean nervous and jumpy, then yes." David said.

Azalea finally stopped and sat up. She wobbled to wash her mouth out, and then she washed her hair.

"Mornin'." Alex opened the washroom door. He handed her something black. The color had her slamming the door in his face and retching again.

It was going to be just like her vision.

She changed after she was done and had to sit down with her head between her knees before they left the room.

David and Alex were staring at her with worried eyes. "You okay, Azal? You're pretty pale." David asked.

"Pale? She's as white as a sheet." Liam said.

"You look like you've seen a ghost." Dwayne crossed his arms, looking very depressing in the black uniform.

Nathan and Liam had changed as well. "You'll be fine," Nathan ruffled her drying hair.

Alex looked down. "Do you want to. . .?"

She stood up, understanding. He was asking if she _wanted_ the herb stuff again. For once, she nodded. Alex left the room, looking grim faced.

Nathan and Dwayne exchanged wide-eyed glances while Liam and David looked confused. "You _want_ it?" Dwayne exclaimed.

"If I don't get it, I will be running from the trial." Azalea was seeing double of everything.

Alex came back in with the cloth. "Here," he pressed it gently to her face. He frowned when he saw her eyes go blank. He pulled it away.

Azalea sighed as her vision slowly came together, then blurred and cleared. It was going to be all right. She broke into a smile and led the way out the room.

Nathan and Liam started whispering to each other in worried tones, but Azalea was soaring. Everything would be perfectly fine. She subconsciously knew it wasn't though.

Rapunzel was in the hallway, and she hurried to her. The Goldfinch Sisters and Eugene were not far behind. She caught Azalea in a hug. "Good luck!" Then she saw Azalea's face. She pulled her off to the side. Eugene greeted the other men and wished them luck. Rapunzel's green eyes were serious. "You're on the stuff again, aren't you?"

"You don't understand, Rapunzel." Azalea hiccupped. "I _need_ it."

Rapunzel frowned, and then sighed in resign when Olivia and Fernidia wrapped her in a hug. Fernidia smiled at her encouragingly and Olivia rubbed her shoulder. Azalea felt tears come to her eyes. Rapunzel had such good friends.

When they were in the square, Azalea was dumbfounded to see the square crowded. It was more crowded than the ball. All of the prisoners were there, and she tried not to frown when Diego ruffled her hair and wished her luck.

She saw him look at Stephanie, and then he was pushing his way to the crowd to her.

A wooden platform was in the middle of the square, right behind the water fountain. The square was bigger than she thought, and the vendors that had crowded it were pushed back. The square was a gigantic mass of space, and was square, instead of a round circle like the numerous vendors had made it look. The water fountain was more at the bottom of the square than in the middle.

It was cloudy, and Azalea dimly hoped it wouldn't rain. Father Peter and Father Dante were standing side by side. Azalea and the others were made to stand in the front, and then Dwayne was first.

Dwayne walked to the wooden platform.

"State your name." Father Dante said.

"I am Dwayne Terco Pinkerton Fernando." Dwayne's voice was steady.

"Your crime, Mister Fernando, is the kidnapping of Princess Rapunzel Hermoso Duname Mendel, daughter of Queen Leah Amelia Duname Mendel and King Phillip Sabio Mendel. Correct or incorrect?" Father Peter recapped. Azalea wondered how he could have remembered so many names.

"Correct, sir." Dwayne stated.

The king disagreed. "He is being punished for assisting Jacob Mal Pinkerton Fernando." _How did. . ._ The king must have talked to Dwayne to know Jacob's middle name.

Father Peter corrected himself. "You are charged for assisting your brother, Jacob Mal Pinkerton Fernando."

Father Dante asked for the story, and Dwayne told him everything. How Azalea had been against helping at first, and then had relented at the thought of revenge. Some of the villagers had glared at her when they learned that part, but Azalea had expected that. She kept her head high, glad that she had taken the herb stuff. Dwayne told them how they had seen Jacob on the way back, and how Rapunzel had visited them during their prison days.

When Dwayne had finished, Father Dante had sentenced him. "You will take care of whichever villager asks you to assist them for one year. You will work beyond satisfactory and will expect no pay. You are dismissed."

Dwayne's eyes crinkled as he tried not to smile. He looked at the crowd, found a certain face, and then he winked. When he stood next to them, he smiled encouragingly at her.

Liam and David were next up, and had received mild sentences. Liam was charged with assisting in the bakery for two years, while David was assigned to become a member of the guards, if he wanted, to have an actual reason to beat off intruders. That's what Azalea had gotten out of it. David's real sentence was to do her old job: Help in the stables for six months, and then become a messenger for the guards for six more months.

Nathan went up next, and he stared at the punishments around them that Azalea had just realized. There was a guillotine nearby, and next to it was a rope with a loop for hanging. Azalea saw a stock, and her knees buckled.

Liam saw her nearly fall to her knees and quickly grabbed her by her waist to keep her to her feet. "It's not for you," he cooed repeatedly in her ear quietly. "It's not for you, Azal."

"State your name." Father Peter said.

"Nathan Valor Lei Keen." Nathan spoke clearly. His eyes were fixed on the two ministers. His black uniform clashed with his bright green eyes, and though she didn't like the thought of it, the black uniform suited his tan skin. Sprinkles of rain settled on them and she heard a quiet rumble of thunder.

"Your crime is abandoning your post as a noble guard." Father Dante said. Azalea felt her mouth drop open, and saw Dwayne and the other's expressions mirror hers. Nathan was only being punished for leaving to help Rapunzel? It was absurd, but she was suddenly so ecstatic that she hiccupped, trying not to laugh with relief. _Nathan is going to be fine!_

Nathan's lips quivered as he tried not to smile.

Father Peter spoke next. "You are relieved of your status as a guard. You may become a guard again within a year, if you wish, but you are no longer classified as a guard or a noble guard for that matter."

Nathan's lips formed a tiny smile and he nodded to the ministers when he was dismissed.

Azalea was called forward, and all her relief left her in one second. She was about to-

She caught Dwayne and Liam in a hug. She hugged David quickly. Azalea looked at Nathan and quickly pecked his cheek when he came back down. She whispered in his ear, "I love you."

Nathan's eyes were stunned and they followed her when she walked onto the platform. Jacob was going to show up, and then it'd be over.

"State your name." Father Dante demanded. She stifled a nervous shudder when she saw the kingdom harden before her eyes. Most of the men were still hostile, and she realized that they had probably only have been friendly at the ball because they had to. Now that she was alone, she could tell that she wasn't going to make it. A cold breeze shook the platform, and then rain started pelting down.

"I am Azalea Salta Gothel Dixon." Azalea prayed her voice didn't tremble when she raised it above the gust of wind.

"Your _unusual_ crime is for assisting in the kidnapping of Princess Rapunzel Hermoso Duname Mendel." Father Dante said crossly. He was glaring at her, and Azalea could feel herself shrinking.

"Correct or incorrect?" Father Peter's soft voice was a quick relief.

"C-Correct." She could already feel her life draining away.

"Your sentence is to help the kingdom in any way you see fit, for a maximum of five years." Father Dante said. "You are not allowed to relocate anywhere from this kingdom, and if you were to, you would need royal permission." Royal permission? Azalea's head started spinning and she could feel the blood leak from her face.

Azalea couldn't move. She was frozen in place, neither relieved nor angered.

Then there it was.

The last question.

"Do you understand your sentencing?"

Azalea felt her head bob in a nod, and she wanted to drop to her knees and sob. It was going to be so hard for them to understand-

She opened her mouth to speak. "Rapunzel. . ."

Rapunzel looked up, and then she was struggling to the front of the crowd from the middle. "What is it?" Tears of relief were flowing from the princess's eyes, and Nathan was laughing. The crowd was melting with . . .

Happiness? Had they known she was innocent all along? The women looked pleased and hit their husbands on the shoulder who all managed to look sheepish.

The hostile gazes were finally gone.

She had to say it to Rapunzel though, before it was too late.

"Flowers don't die forever. They always come back somehow."

Alex Ruffins nodded at her and wiped at his eyes; she could see he had no idea what she meant. Azalea felt her body begin to move to the stairs of the platform, but the feeling of cold metal pressing itself against her skin made her freeze.

The crowd exploded into screams, and then Azalea saw Rapunzel and Nathan struggling to her along with her friends and Eugene. Liam looked enraged. Michael was hurrying to her, his eyes wide as he stared behind her. The clouds were gone but there were white bandages on his hands. What had he done last night? They weren't there yesterday when she had seen him eating in the Dining Hall.

The voice behind her chilled her to her bones as it announced, "This is the proper sentencing, Minister Peter." The knife slashed across her throat, and Azalea let out a bloodcurdling scream when the pain seared through her neck.

It was all over.

Nathan and Liam yelled and then punches were being thrown as they fought their way to her. Dwayne shoved people out of the way, desperation in his eyes. His eyes were the grayest she had ever seen them.

The agony was excruciating and blocked out every thought. The knife was pulled away, and then Dwayne yelled a curse as he looked at the person behind her.

She tumbled down onto the ground, feeling warm blood soak into her black shirt.

"Nathan!" Dwayne yelled. _So that's going to happen, too_, Azalea thought fuzzily.

"What is it?" Nathan didn't break his long enraged strides. His green eyes were wild. The rain was cold, and Azalea could feel her body begin to shake.

Dwayne looked at him, and for a moment, the entire world froze. "I'm glad she has you and not me."

"Why?" Nathan demanded, his eyes looking at Dwayne with incredulity.

"Because today I would have become a murderer."

Dwayne finally made it to the front of the crowd, and ran up the stairs of the platform. Heavy footsteps sounded behind her as the man ran and Dwayne gave chase.

Nathan and Alex made it to her. Alex took off his gray shirt, the fabric was made black by the heavy rain, and pressed it to her neck. "We have to stop the bleeding. N-Nathan, keep her awake." Alex's calm voice broke when he looked around and screamed for Olivia.

"Doll," Nathan tried to grab her attention. Her vision was fuzzing and she was very cold. "Doll, look at me."

Azalea felt Nathan's hand clench hers. "K-Keep your eyes open." Rapunzel and Michael finally reached them.

Michael breathed, "Oh my God." He kneeled down, looking back Rapunzel who was slowly turning green. "She'll be okay."

"Michael, she's _bleeding_ so much . . ." Their voices faded in and out. _Bleeding, bleeding, bleeding. . ._

"Doll?" Nathan's voice echoed to her. He sounded like he was in a cave. They all did. She felt colder and felt her body shudder harder.

"Azalea?" Alex nudged her numb body. His free hand was shaking her shoulder as if he was trying to wake her from a deep sleep. _Azalea, Azalea, Azalea. . ._

She wanted to speak. Azalea tried hard to remember how to move her mouth. She wanted to tell them she was sorry for leaving them.

Dwayne was back, she thought. She could hear his voice and smell the cologne he wore. "Azal, don't close your eyes." _Don't, don't don't, close, close, close, youreyes, eyes, eyes. . ._

Were they closed? No.

She could see them all blurring right before her eyes.

"I want you to stay, Doll." Nathan was sobbing. Why? "Stay with me, please." _I want, want, wantyou, you, tostay, stay, stay, Doll, Doll, Doll. . ._

His voice was so lovely. Like an angel's. Echoing made it sound even better. Maybe she should just listen to the echoes. . .

"She's lost so much blood. Should we try moving her?" Eugene was there too? "We need to get her out of the rain. I don't like the color she's turning." _Blood, blood, blood, rain, rain. . ._

Rapunzel was crying, and far away, Azalea could hear her mother calling her name.

"Mother, I'm coming," Azalea wanted to say. "One moment, I want them to not worry about me."

"Azalea, _please_." Nathan's voice was quieter. _Please, please, please. . . _Was she dying then? Was this what it was like? She could feel her body slowly emptying. . . But what was leaving her?

Her eyes moved to stare at the dark sky above them. The deep gray clouds were sending rain on them, and when rain got in her eyes, Azalea couldn't blink them away. "Azalea, look at me." Nathan said, his voice fading. By the time he said, _me_, Azalea could hardly hear him. "She's going into shock, _Alex_." _Alex, Alex, Alex . . ._

"I've got her." She could hardly feel herself being picked up. The rain wasn't cold anymore. In fact, it almost felt warm. She must be colder than the rain by now. Dwayne was carrying her. "Nathan, come on. She needs you."

"I-I _can't_, Dwayne. Oh God, Dwayne, I just can't." Nathan was caught up in grief. "I can't move." _Can't, can't, can't, move, move, move._

"_Eugene_," Dwayne said, his voice echoed the most. _Eugene, Eugene, Eugene. . ._

"Nathan, she's going to be fine." Eugene coaxed Nathan to his feet. "She needs you to be there for her." _There, there, there, there, for, for, her, her, her. . ._

"Eugene, she's hurt." Olivia's voice was shaking with barely held back sobs. "I don't know if I can fix this." _I don't know, know, if, I can, can. . ._

"Come on, Liv." Guy was nearby too and he sounded stuffy. "We need you to _try_." _We need you, you, try, try, try. . ._

Dwayne's arms were rocking her to sleep.

"Azalea," Dwayne whispered in her ear. _Azal, Azal, Azalea. . ._

He said something then that made her finally give up. Her consciousness flicked off like a candle being blown out. She was going to see Mother now.

He said it just like he had on that night that had happened so long ago.

"Let it go, Azalea." _Go, go, go. . ._

Was she the lantern this time? Was Nathan letting her float into the sky? Who was letting _her_ go?

"Let it go, Azalea." Dwayne cooed again, as if she didn't hear the first time. "Your Mother is waiting for you."

_Yes,_ Azalea wanted to say as the world finally left her. She_ is waiting for _ _'s waiting for _me_ to come home this time_.


	72. Unearthed Flower With Another Man

K*H*W* (go to my profile :)

* * *

><p><span>Chapter Seventy Two<span>  Dwayne's Point of View

He knocked him down. "You _bastard_!" He got on top of his twin, punching him. "You killed her!"

Jacob was grinning. "You're free from her, Dwayne." His voice hardened. "As am I."

"I can't believe you!" Dwayne slapped his brother across the face. A murderous rage filled him, and Dwayne wanted to kill Jacob.

Fear filled Jacob's eyes when he registered Dwayne's deadly mood. "Dwayne, I did this for you."

"Did this for me?" Dwayne started punching Jacob in the face, rage twisting his features. "What the hell made you think I wanted _this_? That I wanted her _dead_?"

His vision blurred with red, and then when he began to calm down, his vision darkened with grief. Jacob had killed Azalea. Who would live from a throat wound such as that? Diego's sister hadn't, and Jacob had known it.

"Dwayne, please." Dwayne stood up, shaky and sick. The blood that had poured out of Azalea's body-

Dwayne whirled around to his brother, and Jacob backed away, getting to his hands and knees. Jacob had a black eye and deep bruises on his face.

"Don't you _ever_ look me in the eye again. Don't say my name." Dwayne yanked on Jacob's hair. "You are dead to me."

"Dwayne," Jacob choked. Dwayne had learned from the best hypnotist.

"And you will cancel whatever the hell you did to Michael!" Dwayne wasn't blind.

"I can't!" Jacob yelled.

Dwayne released Jacob, only to grab him by the shoulders and slam him into a wall. Dwayne didn't care where he was.

"What the _hell _do you mean you _can't_?" Dwayne demanded, almost wanting to throw more punches.

"It's been too long since I hypnotized him." Jacob spoke hurriedly. "But I can fix it, I can!" His dark gray eyes were fighting clouds, clouds that used to never be there.

"You won't." Dwayne spat. "When I walk away, you'll be back to your dirty tricks."

"Leave everyone alone, I mean it." Dwayne grabbed fistfuls of Jacob's hair. "Or I'll come back." He released him, walking away. If Jacob called him back again-

"I swear I will! I promise!" Jacob staggered to him. "Dwayne, please. Your disapproval was what I hated. You know that, Dwayne! You can't leave me. Dwayne, wait!"

"Don't say my name again." Dwayne whipped around, punching Jacob in the jaw.

Jacob cowered away. "Where will you go?"

"Where I'm needed and wanted." Dwayne hissed. He was done with his brother. He didn't care if Jacob lived or died. Dwayne had been wrong; he and Azalea could have never saved Jacob no matter what they did.

"Where will I go?" Jacob wasn't going to let him leave him. Too bad. Dwayne wasn't letting Jacob back in his life. He had hurt so many people, and Dwayne had known –and the guilt would haunt him for the rest of his life- but Azalea was out of bounds. Dwayne shook his head at himself. _Everyone_ should have been out of bounds.

"Where will I go?" Jacob asked again, hope in his voice. Dwayne wasn't staying.

He took one last look at his twin: bruised and tired. Jacob wasn't the nine year old boy anymore. He wasn't the boy who had peaceful dreams and hopes in sight. Jacob had become a monster.

Dwayne wanted to believe that it wasn't Jacob's fault.

"Frankly, you bastard, I don't give a _damn_." Dwayne left him there.

_Rapunzel's Point of View_

I was unsteady on my feet. Azalea lost consciousness when Dwayne had entered the [alace with her. Mother was hurrying in front of us, quickly ordering nurses and maids. Father was barking to the guards to guard the exits and entrances to the kingdom.

"Set her down!" Olivia snapped to Dwayne when he entered the pale yellow room. "Rapunzel, get me a wet cloth. Nathan, stay there with her. Talk to her, please. Dwayne, get David and Liam and beat the _hell_ out of Jacob."

Dwayne paused. "I already did that." I saw the bruises on his face, and saw that his knuckles were bleeding. "I beat the devil out of him."

"Good. Fernidia, go to my room and get my sewing kit." Olivia removed Alex's shirt from Azalea's neck.

I blanched when I heard Olivia's command, and quickly dipped a cloth into a filled basin. I handed it to Olivia and then she was wiping hurriedly at the blood that was still pulsing out of Azalea's neck.

Eugene stood in the doorway, looking around for something to do. "Hold the basin for me." I handed it to Eugene and grabbed the cloth back from Olivia. I tried not to turn green when I rinsed it out in the basin Eugene was holding, and then I handed it back to Olivia.

That was how it went, in a tense silence, until Fernidia came back. Dwayne took over, grabbing the cloth and wiping at the slice in Azalea's neck while Olivia operated around him. David was rubbing Nathan's shoulder soothingly while Nathan talked to Azalea. Liam was pacing the room urgently, unrolling more thread for Fernidia when Olivia asked for more.

I heard what Nathan was saying, and had to choke back tears.

"This is the same bed, but it feels bigger." Nathan looked at Eugene and me. "Is this how it feels when. . .?"

Eugene nodded, and I winced.

He went on, "I should have bought you flowers. What are your favorite flowers, Doll?" He slapped his forehead. "Who the hell doesn't know that?"

"Nathan, what are Anna's favorite flowers?" Dwayne asked. I felt him reach out to Nathan to bring him back. Nathan had started rambling.

"She loves hibiscuses." Nathan mumbled. He clutched Azalea's hand.

"At least we held hands, right?" Nathan wiped at his eyes.

"I'm glad you told me you loved me." Nathan sniffled. "I should have told you that first, huh?" Nathan stopped to steady his voice.

"That was what you wanted me to do, wasn't it, Doll?" Nathan asked softly. "Last night, and then when we went to the lake that night. You knew it was coming, and you couldn't tell me." He choked. "Why? Why, Doll? You could have told me. I would have ditched the trial for you in one heartbeat. If I had known, I wouldn't have let you get hurt!" His voice had risen and he lowered it two octaves.

"Fernidia, more thread." Olivia was tense. "Dwayne, wipe right there."

They both complied and then Nathan was talking again.

He was holding something else in his hand. It was silver, and then I blinked. He was holding his harmonica. "This song wouldn't sound the same without you, Doll. And I wouldn't dance the same without my little Flower dancing with me." His eyes reddened. "Damn, you _loved_ to dance!"

"Fernidia," Olivia said. Fernidia blinked and gave Olivia more thread.

Then Nathan started talking again, and his voice –so hollow- made the words hurt everyone in the room.

"If you don't come back, Azalea, and you just so happen to hear me talking, can you tell my mother that I love her?"

I broke into a sob, and had to sit down on the floor to cry.

Eugene took over for me, looking at me sympathetically. Liam sat down next to me and put his arm over my shoulder. He murmured soothing words to me, and Eugene gave him a grateful glance.

Mother opened the door a peek and walked in. "Is she okay, Olivia?"

Olivia's answer was tense. "Queen Leah, I can't tell you right now. Can you fetch Alex for me?"

Guy walked into the room, cradling his right arm. "What happened, Guy?" I asked him.

"Someone knocked me down and I broke it." Guy looked at Olivia and then at Azalea. "Is she going to be okay?"

Fernidia nodded at him. "I'll put your arm in a sling after we get her stable, okay?"

"No rush," Guy walked out of the room, bidding us good luck.

My mother quickly pecked my cheek and hurried out the room after him. When she came back, Alex's dark brown red rimmed eyes were the first thing I saw, and I burst into more sobs.

"What do you need me to do?" He asked, sounding empty. He suddenly seemed unable to walk. His knees were shaking.

"Get more of the herb stuff. She'll be in pain when she wakes up." Olivia ordered.

"She's going to wake up?" Hope entered Nathan's dead voice.

"No promises." Olivia sucked in a breath.

Within moments, she was working again. She no longer needed the cloth anymore, and Dwayne sat down next to us.

"I think I'm done." Olivia bit her lip.

I stood up and stood over Azalea's limp body. The cut was neatly sealed shut, though seeing the stitches had me retching in the washroom.

I hugged Nathan tightly after I had cleaned up, my tears getting on his soaked shirt. He was shaking from head to toe, and curled up in the bed next to Azalea. Nathan stood up and walked to the dresser. He grabbed. . . A flute.

He took off the blood soaked cover and sat down on top the sheets. He held both instruments tightly in his hand, and then he began to blow a sad tone in his harmonica.

We all walked out then, and I didn't know what to say. I tearfully thanked Fernidia, Olivia, and Dwayne. Liam and I shared tearful smiles and David hugged me tightly. Dwayne went back inside the room, moving as quiet as a ghost. Fernidia walked to find Guy, to put his arm in the sling like she promised.

When I went into the room Eugene and I shared, we both sat there on the bed.

"Blondie," Eugene was at lost for words.

"I don't know what I'm going to do without her." I breathed, and I broke down.

Eugene was motionless and he just held me as I cried. He cooed to me, biting back tears himself. But it was useless because within moments, we both became waterfalls.

Dwayne's Point of View

Azalea was screaming. "Azalea, darling. It's okay." Dwayne stroked her sweaty hair from her face. The rain that had started earlier was now a full blown thunderstorm. A rumble of thunder rocked the palace but Nathan paid no mind to it.

Nathan washed her arms and cheeks with a new damp cloth. "She's got a fever and she's delirious. I really hope the wound isn't infected."

"She's going to be fine, Nathan." He had been saying it all day, but now Dwayne wasn't really sure anymore.

"Mother? Mother, where are you?" Azalea wailed, turning over. Dwayne and Nathan rolled her back over carefully to keep Olivia's stitches intact.

"I can't see you! Mother, it's _hot_." Azalea cried. Her skin was flushed red, and she was sweating. Dwayne took the cloth from Nathan and rubbed her face and bare arms again.

""Doll, you're dreaming." Nathan watched Azalea's face. She was shivering like she was cold but her skin was burning to Dwayne. He rewet the cloth.

"Mother, please, I can't see you." Azalea hissed her next words. "My neck hurts." Thunder rumbled harder, making Azalea's words seem eerie.

Dwayne bent down to whisper in Azalea's ear. "Let it go, Azal." She was fighting _so_ hard. It broke his heart to see her still hanging on.

"Mother, why does my neck hurt?" Azalea asked, trying to turn over again. Dwayne helped Nathan set her right once more.

"Where's Fernidia?" Dwayne demanded. The maids and nurses had redressed the bed and left them fresh sheets. There was another basin filled with cool water, and there were more cloths next to it.

"She said she was getting a bigger basin." Nathan explained, his hair messy and eyes red. Stray tears sprinkled his cheeks. "I don't know what's taking her."

"I'll go find her." Dwayne needed air. How could Nathan stand it?

Nathan stayed by Azalea's side, and rewet the cloth.

Dwayne was glad Nathan had Azalea.

**Nathan's Point of View**

He waited for her to open her eyes. "Doll?"

"Nathan?" She was finally coming back to her senses.

He kissed her cheek. "I thought I lost you."

"You'd never lose me. Flowers always grow back. Most of them." Her moment's clarity had left her. "Where's Mother, Nathan?" Her fevered eyes opened to look around the room.

'She's buying you some pineapple." Nathan improvised.

Azalea smiled goofily. The herb stuff and the fever were a bad combination. "How did she know I loved pineapple?"

"A mother's institution is powerful, Doll." Nathan held her clammy hand and something caught his attention.

"You feeling okay?" He asked her urgently.

"I'm tired and cold." Azalea whimpered. "My neck hurts, Mother. Can you tell her that, Nathan?" She yawned sleepily.

"Yeah, sure." Nathan felt his own slow down. "Azalea, are you okay?"

Her eyes were suddenly glassy when she blinked at him. Azalea's voice was quiet.

"I'm sorry, Nathan, because," she breathed. "I might not grow back." She sighed quietly and then silence filled the room. The rain and thunder suddenly went quiet as well.

Azalea closed her eyes, or maybe they had closed by themselves.

"Azalea?"

Nothing.

Nathan clutched her hand tighter and waited. He couldn't feel anything. The slowing pulse he had felt moments ago was gone.

"_Azalea_?" He wanted to shake her. He let go off her hand, and was startled when it fell limp to her side.

"_Doll_?" Nathan started wiping her face urgently with the cloth. He wet the cloth and didn't squeeze it out. The drops splattered on her skin and she didn't stir.

_Oh God._

It hit him like a blow to the face and a sharp quick to the gut. Mentally, he was being slammed against a wall.

Nathan got up to lock the door.

He hoped Dwayne didn't hear him scream.

_Rapunzel's Point of View_

Someone knocked on our door, waking us up. I sat up in Eugene's arms, who roused beside me. Our eyes went to the door and I climbed off the bed, Eugene by my side.

I opened it, and was stunned to see Nathan. His eyes were hollow and his hair was messy. Tears were flowing freely from his green eyes.

"What happened?" I went ice cold.

Nathan had to clutch the doorframe for support. The thunder rumbled harder, shaking the floor. The rain was the only thing that had broke the tense silence, and then Nathan spoke-

"She couldn't stay with me. She has another man now." Nathan's voice broke.

"His name is God."


	73. Bringing Blond Water

Chapter Seventy Three

I wasn't sure if I was awake.

Azalea was shaking me. "Rapunzel, can you sing for me?"

"I forgot the words." We were sitting in the square, and I was watching her death all over again.

"No, you haven't."

"I have, Azalea." I didn't want to remember the words of the song that had entwined our lives together. The song that wouldn't bring her back-

She smiled at me with those pretty greenish gray eyes. Did she realize how much I missed her? "I've only been gone for a few hours."

"Sadness lengthens them, Azalea." I wanted to hug her.

She pointed at the water fountain and I could see water lilies inside. "I told you flowers die but come back. When the water dries up, the lilies die. But then someone brings the water back when the flowers can't move." She looked at me, and her pretty eyes were begging for me to understand something.

"Rapunzel," Eugene shook me awake.

"Mm?" The grief was the first thing I registered when I swam back to consciousness. Why didn't he let me stay asleep?

"You were talking in your sleep." Eugene sat up. "Talking to Azalea?"

How did he know? "Yes." I grabbed his hand, looking at the door and hoping Azalea would burst through.

"I miss her, Eugene." I whispered.

"I do too, Blondie." Eugene rubbed my cold arms. "Let's get up, check on a few people."

When I finally gained the will to change clothes, the first place I went was to Nathan's room. Liam and David met us on the way. Adam, Anna-Beth and Dwayne were in the Dining Hall, barely eating, according to David.

I opened the door and found Nathan sitting up on the floor, his eyes glassy and vacant. "Nathan?"

"What am I going to do?" Nathan demanded in a hoarse whisper.

Liam sat down next to him. "I know how you feel."

"Oh God, do you?" Nathan let Liam put his arm around his shoulder. "S-She was my world."

Liam nodded. "Sarah's my world, Nat."

"I just lost my only flower for my bouquet." Nathan's words were an arrow through my heart. "Damn, it's too much."

Anna hobbled into the room. "Nathan?"

"What is it, Anna?" Nathan stared up at his younger sister, and she flinched from his dead gaze.

"Adam wants to talk to you." Adam was standing at the threshold.

"Adam, I'm not moving from this room." Nathan stayed where he was.

"All right, then." Adam shooed us out. "Leave everyone. Except Anna-Beth, you stay."

**Nathan's Point of View**

"What is it?" Nathan couldn't find the effort to move.

"We've all lost someone important, am I right?" Adam sat down on the bed, looking at Azalea's body covered up by the pale white sheets Fernidia had remorsefully brought in the room.

Anna stared down at her hands and a rush of sympathy for her made Nathan thaw a little. "Correct, Adam."

Adam blinked, surprised. "Oh really? Anna, who was it, if I may be so bold."

"My fiancé." Anna sat up a little straighter.

Adam winced. "Why?"

"He lived in another kingdom, the one that everyone's talking about. Adam, I think you went there. He wasn't allowed to see me. He was the son of man who gave me green paint for Nathan's lantern. We met when they both came back in town."

"What was his name?" Adam asked curiously.

"Richard Brackkets." Anna said quietly. Nathan saw her flinch at the name, then her eyes unfocused and she relaxed.

"What was the problem?" Adam questioned.

"We couldn't be together. Where he was from, only people from the same kingdom could marry. When he had asked me to marry him, I had been so happy." Nathan sighed at the memory of Anna's bright green eyes glowing when he had come home from guard training. "The kingdom was just developing, and was looking for the sun flower as for a way to get gold for their currency. Richard told me they were going to sell the sun flower to one of the kingdoms, far from us I might add, for the highest price imaginable so they could start building for their hungry civilians. Richard thought I would know where it was, and if we were seen together, they'd question me."

Her voice shook. "I didn't know where it would be of course, but he knew that if they found me, they wouldn't have let me go. And then Nathan found out."

Adam looked at Nathan and raised his eyebrows. Nathan explained, blushing. "They were in the living room holding hands and I nearly killed him. I thought he was a stranger."

"You didn't see me on top of him?" Anna asked.

Nathan looked down, flushing deeper for the both of them. Adam chuckled for a moment.

"So it didn't end well?"

Anna shook her head sadly. Nathan looked at her sympathetically.

"So is he the. . .?" Adam didn't have to finish the sentence. Anna nodded, and then the room was quiet.

_Oh_, how Nathan wished Azalea would sit up and laugh and say it was a joke.

"I lost my betrothed to a wagon accident." Adam said quietly. "She was chasing after me when I was running off with a damn cupcake. She didn't see the horse, and neither did I. She felt nothing though. It was quick."

Nathan thought back to the strong horses in the stables and murmured in sympathy.

"I'm sorry, Adam." Anna said. "That's awful."

Adam nodded and then looked at Azalea's body. "She was a beautiful one, Nat."

Nathan put his head in his hands.

Anna stood up and sat down next to him in Liam's place. She laid her head on his shoulder and stroked his hair. Adam took his cue and left the room, quietly closing the door behind him.

"She was one of my best friends." Anna murmured.

"She was the love of my life." Nathan couldn't believe she was gone. Oh God, _what would he do without _her?

"It's Rapunzel." Rapunzel opened the door. She sat down on the bed, and then Candace and Olivia were in the room. Olivia was sobbing.

"Nathan, I'm so sorry I couldn't save her!" Olivia bawled. Candace had bloodshot eyes and murmured soothing words.

Nathan tried his hardest to grab his composure, but the more he tried, the more it crumbled.

Rapunzel pulled back Azalea's sheet, and unbraided her hair. "What are you doing?" Seeing Azalea's golden locks made his heart wrench.

Rapunzel's response made him blink hard.

"Bringing back a dead flower." Then Rapunzel was singing something. . .

Within moments, Azalea's eyes were opening.

"Nathan?"

Nathan staggered to her side, his eyes brimming with tears. Azalea's eyes were greenish gray. Her eyebrows were a shade darker than her hair, and arched perfectly. Her lips were plump, and Nathan wanted to kiss them. Her cheekbones were high on her face and he stroked her cheeks with a trembling hand.

He looked at Rapunzel, at lost for words. She was smiling a watery smile, and he hugged her when she started crying.

"Nathan?" Azalea called him back to her. Her eyes focused on the tears. "Are you okay?"

"What do you mean 'Are you okay'?" Nathan asked, his heart soaring.

He could feel his eyes glowing.

"I get to keep the most beautiful girl in the world. I am perfectly fine."

* * *

><p>K*H*W* <span>(go to my profile :)<span>


	74. A Way Through the Clouds

Chapter Seventy Four Fernidia's Point of View

The sun was warm on her skin unlike the leftover frost under her feet. She could feel the cold from the ground seeping into her skin. The wind was chilly as well, but the sun made it seem pleasant. The town was unusually crowded, the news of Azalea's close call had spread like wildfire, and many of the civilians were going to see her. Odd, since many of the civilians were men who had been hostile to her. Maybe they were making amends.

She watched Adam as he made gold coins appear out of their noses and ears. The little girls were giggling and demanding how he did it.

"I keep my secrets." Adam said playfully, rolling a coin in and out of his fingers. "I need my lovely assistant for the next one. Ferns?"

Fernidia walked forward, wanting to be near him. Michael wasn't himself anymore. Going to his house the night before confirmed it.

The sun shone on their hair, and Fernidia was dumbfounded at seeing the dark brown streaks in Adam's hair gleam in the light. Snow flurries were falling, but they were light and wouldn't stick to the ground.

"I'm going to give you a card, and I want you to fold one corner, all right?" Adam asked her, his hazel eyes rimmed with dark brown shining. Fernidia thought back to Azalea, and then remembered that she was sleeping. Adam handed her an ace of clubs, and she folded the left corner of it.

"Fold it in half, and put it in your mouth." Adam instructed. He showed them his card: a seven of spades. Fernidia folded her card, and placed it in her mouth. Adam did the same. "Now kiss me."

Fernidia arched her eyebrows. "Come again?" What?

"We'll switch cards, that's the trick, Ferns." Adam smiled. His eyes were teasing her.

Fernidia reddened as the girls started giggling, and then leaned in. Adam's lips were soft, and it was odd that a kiss was needed for a magic trick.

"Ooh!" One of the girls was smiling. "They should get married! They're so cute!"

"All right, check your card." Adam pulled away, blushing. The kiss was. . .

Fernidia pulled the card out of her mouth and gaped when she saw it: A seven of spades.

Adam and Fernidia bowed when the girls started clapping. A man walked up to them and gave Adam two gold coins, and Adam gave her one. She smiled and pecked him on the cheek. The kiss was. . .

"I'm here all my life so come again!" Adam waved to the tiny crowd and glanced at her. "Hot?"

"A little." It was a lie. He was more handsome than he realized, and she was chastising herself for thinking of him that way. _He is Michael's brother!_

"Wanna go inside?" He put his arm around her shoulder, still smiling.

She nodded, trying hard to think about something else.

_Azalea's Point of View_

"Is she awake?" A woman opened the door a crack. Seeing all the strangers in the room, the woman walked in and sat down on the foot of the bed next to Nathan. "How are you?" Her brown eyes were kind.

Azalea was dizzy. "Hm? Oh hi!" She tried to sit up, feeling her eyes close. She pried them open. "I'm Azalea! No wait, you know my name, right?"

"I do, I met you the other day." The woman was abruptly familiar, but Azalea was fuzzy headed. "Sage is here too."

"Maya?" Nathan guessed for her. He blinked at Azalea, and smiled. "She's still loopy."

"Nathan!" Azalea whined playfully. When had she last done that?

"Azalea!" Nathan ruffled her wet hair. He looked at the strangers in the room. "She's very loopy."

"I fell asleep for a long time." Azalea bubbled. The strangers chuckled and one of the men patted her shoulder, laughing. "What? That's what happened, right?"

Rapunzel opened the door. "Hey, Azal."

"Hey, Punzie!" Azalea grinned. "Can I get up now? Nat won't let me move around."

"It's because you've been sick." One of the men said. "We want you to get well."

Rapunzel nodded. "He's right, Azalea."

Azalea laid back down, staring up at the ceiling. "Mother's not coming back, is she?" Sadness filled her tone. "She left me in the dark."

She is standing by the tower again. "Azalea!" Her mother calls her name.

Far away, she can hear Nathan talking to her. Her favorite flowers are. . . She can't remember.

"I'm right here." Azalea then realizes that it is very dark. It is pitch-black, and there isn't a gleam of moonlight or a star in sight.

"What are you doing here?" Her mother is suddenly in front of her.

"I died, Mother." Azalea feels sad. She feels sluggish and happy as well. The herb stuff from the morning has finally fully kicked in.

"You can't be dead!" Her mother's dark eyes widen. Her mouth is open in horror. "I can fix this, Azal."

"Of course you can, you're mother, Mother." Azalea sits down next to the stream, the sand getting on her hair. She looks around, seeing her mother run off into the darkness. "Where are you going?"

She gets no reply, and before long, her mother's footsteps fade into silence.

Her neck starts burning in a thick line. "Mother, where are you? I can't see you!" She looks around, standing up now. She takes off walking in a strange direction, strange because water flowed up to her ankles in seconds.

Is her mother playing a game? "I can't see you!"

The water is up to her waist now. "My neck hurts." She touches the thick burning line, wincing. She feels something come off onto her fingers. _Why does my neck hurt?_

The water flows to her waist, and then she is struggling to keep her balance. A gust of wind shakes her, and the water knocks her feet from under her. She is falling, and she opens her eyes.

Nathan's face fills her vision. His eyes are so beautiful, one of the prettiest shades of green-

"Azalea, are you okay?"

She realizes that this was what her mother was letting her do: Have one last conversation with Nathan. She has to tell him.

"I'm sorry, Nathan, because I might not grow back." Had he heard her earlier? _Oh God_, she hopes.

She sighs when the tower came back in view. She blinks, shutting her eyes to Nathan, and marvels at the bright sunlight that shines on her skin. The blue water of the stream feels refreshing to her ankles, and she stands on the bank away from the waterfall that she had fallen off earlier. The tower is beautiful, and dimly, Azalea can hear someone singing-

"Azalea?" Maya waved her hand in front of Azalea's face.

"Daydreaming." Azalea hiccupped. She sat up again, fiddling with her hair. "Mother's gone." She said it, and the truth hurt. She was surprised to find tears coming to her eyes.

Rapunzel waved the strangers away. "She'll be more coherent tomorrow."

"You guys are acting like I died!" Speaking loudly hurt her neck. Everyone froze in the room, and Azalea went cold. She looked at their stricken expressions, and was struggling to comprehend what had just happened. "I died?"

"Doll," Nathan tried to speak. Rapunzel and Maya were then pushing the strangers out of the door. "It's more complicated than that."

Rapunzel and Maya sat on the bed watching her face while Nathan explained. When he finished, Azalea was speechless. "That couldn't have happened."

"Rapunzel brought you back." Nathan said. He was watching her face like they were, anxiously. "You're fine now."

Azalea put her head in her hands, unsure what to do. The herb stuff was clearly doing its job. "How much did I have?" Maybe it would all come back to her later.

"Enough to put down a horse." Rapunzel frowned. "Does your neck still hurt?"

Azalea nodded. "But I don't want anymore."

"Azalea," Nathan started. He put the back of his hand to her forehead. "I think it'll do you good."

Azalea shook her head, stifling winces. "I just want to sleep."

Rapunzel and Maya left the room, looking worriedly behind them. Nathan sat down next to her, holding her hand. "Are you mad?"

"Why would I be mad?" Azalea kissed his hand, smiling. "I get to keep you, Nat." Her skin felt unnaturally warm. Maybe the high amount of herb stuff was making her warmer.

Nathan kissed her cheek. "I should have told you this sooner. Better late than ever, but: I love you, Doll."

Azalea smiled and kissed his cheek. "I love you too, Nathan." Wasn't being told 'I love you' one of the nicest things in the world? It was to her; she was glowing.

Nathan handed her something small. It felt light in her trembling hands. "Play me a tune?"

Azalea blew into her flute, warmth flowing over her. Nathan was right next to her, holding his prized harmonica.

They played a tune they both remembered: the tune Nathan had played for her to dance to that day in the rain.

**Michael's Point of View**

He was going to have to do it. Dwayne had told him what Jacob had said, and had even tried to override the command himself, but to no avail.

"I've got to, Dwayne." Michael looked around his wrecked home. Adam was in the palace in one of the spare rooms. He hadn't understood what Michael had told him. He was in denial.

"Michael," Dwayne said, holding his hands up. "I can go find Jacob to. . .You know." Reluctance sounded loud and clear in his voice.

"It won't help." Michael had even known he wouldn't be helped. "Dwayne, thank you for your help."

"You won't do it now, will you?" Dwayne blinked hard, his dark gray eyes widening with disbelief. "I can't stop you, but. . ."

"No, not now." Michael had no idea when he'd have the chance to end it himself. "But I can't be near Eugene with a weapon in my hand."

Dwayne groaned. "Of all the secrets I've had to keep, damn it, why give me this one?"

"Dwayne, if your brother wasn't a bastard then this wouldn't have happened."

"No kidding," Dwayne stood up from the floor, his eyes dark. "Anything I can do?"

"Pray for me."

"I don't know any gods around here."

"Go find Azalea then."

Michael saw Dwayne smile.


	75. Baby Names and a Bad Dream

Chapter Seventy Five

Azalea's wound was infected.

"Punzie, why am I seeing you so much?" Azalea was sitting up, pushing Nathan's hand away that was offering a wet cloth to wipe her face. "Not that I don't love you or anything. It's hot in here."

She was so out of it, it was priceless sometimes. "Olivia has more ointment."

"No!" Azalea put her fingers to her neck, staring at Dwayne and Eugene who were watching her with worried expressions. "Dwayne, don't let her put more cold stuff on my neck! It's hot."

"The cold stuff will cool you off." Eugene explained, trying hard not to smirk. It was a good thing I wasn't the only one who found her amusing.

Azalea paused in thought, and her fevered eyes were bright, making her eyes appear almost green. "Olivia?"

Olivia was covering her fingertips with the herb ointment. "What is it, Azal?"

"Is Eugene lying to me?"

"I'm glad you trust my opinion." Eugene grabbed my hand and tugged me out the room. I thought he was offended, but then I saw him smiling. "Let's go find a book."

"A book?" I was tired from fanning Azalea until Fernidia had tracked down her younger sister.

"I've got to read to them." Eugene led the way to the library. "What shall it be?"

"I like reading books about how to make things." I was smiling. "I want them to grow up knowing how to make cookies."

"_The Adventures of David's Mind_ it is then." Eugene grabbed a book off on the shelves. He sat down next to me, and put his arm around my shoulder. I opened the cover, and turned the page. Eugene kissed my cheek. I saw a rattle on the cover and the name surprised me.

"This is a book for baby names."

"Want to name babies after cupcakes?"

"Frosted Heaven?" I giggled.

"Or Sunny Dreams." Eugene stared at me, evaluating my reaction to his names. "Too cliché?"

"I like Sunny." I held his hand tighter in mine, waiting for kicks. Didn't babies kicked if they liked the name?

"I thought of it after the sun flower mishap." Eugene explained, blushing. I brushed his dark brown hair from his hazel eyes, a pleasant smile still on my face.

"S-U-N-N-Y, right?"

"Nope. S-U-N-N-_I_-." Eugene looked pleased with himself. "What about a boy name?"

"I thought of Felix." I felt a tiny kick. "F for Flynn, E for Eugene, L for love. And I because he's going to have integrity, and X for forever letting me hug him." I had thought of the reasons right before I had fallen asleep. "X because when people hug, their arms make Xs." Eugene nodded at my flawed logic, smirking.

"Forever receiving hugs?" Eugene hugged me and poked my stomach. "Felix, do you like that?"

One of the babies nudged his hand. Eugene's pretty hazel eyes lit up. "Felix it is."

"Sunni likes her name too." I kissed his nose. "She's tired right now."

Eugene chuckled. "Are you tired?"

"No way; we've got to figure out other names." I wasn't ready to sleep yet, though my body protested. "What about if they're both boys or both girls?"

For boy names, we settled on Felix and Pascal. For girl names, we settled on Sunni and Maxine.

_Azalea's Point of View_

Something jolted her awake. "Nat?"

"Hot again?" Nathan was stretching, as if he had just woken up. "I could fan you, if you want."

"No, I'm just. . ." What had woken her? "I think I had a bad dream."

"What was it about?" Nathan laid down next to her, looking at her face.

"Michael, I think." She wanted to sit up, but the herbs Alex had given her after Olivia had applied the ointment earlier made her feel woozy. "Something about Eugene too."

"What made it a bad dream?" Nathan wiped at her face with another cloth. What had happened in the dream? It was painful to remember all of a sudden, and then she recalled what had made it bad.

"Michael died."

_Rapunzel's Point of View_

"Eugene?" I poked him. It was becoming harder to sleep. One of the babies nudged my hand and I poked it back. "Eugene?" It was dark in the room.

"I love cupcakes, Blondie." Eugene rolled over. "Cookies, too? Aw."

I giggled quietly and climbed off of the bed. I could go check on Azalea and Nathan.

"You spoil me, Blondie. C'mere. I have to tell you something."

I went to the door, and turned the knob.

"Hi."

I burst out laughing, and closed the door behind me.

When had Eugene start acting out his dreams? I needed to not be able to sleep more often; he was hilarious.

When I reached the pale yellow room, I knocked on the door. "Anyone awake?"

"Come in." Nathan called quietly. I turned the knob, and seeing Azalea sit up startled me.

"Why are you up?" I asked her. She looked hotter than the last time I saw her. Nathan was practically scrubbing at her skin to keep her cool.

"Rapunzel, I have bad news." Azalea was hiccupping.

"She got another dose?" I looked at Nathan.

He nodded and said, "She started complaining."

I smiled and Nathan mirrored it. She was on the mend.

Azalea wasn't smiling. "Rapunzel, I have bad news." She repeated.

"What is it?" Was she coherent yet?

"Michael's going to die."


	76. A Surprise Reunion and Green Fire

Chapter Seventy Six _Azalea's Point of View_

She yawned, wincing only slightly. Nathan eyed the stitches and she blinked at him. "Do you ever sleep?"

Nathan closed his eyes. "Only when I blink, Azal."

She got off the bed, staring at him. "You feeling okay?"

"If you mean by exhausted, yes." She pushed him on the bed, taking off his shirt. "Where are you going?" His eyes were interested, and very tired at the same time. "Not woozy or anything?"

"No, I'm just hungry." She pouted and pulled the covers over him. "You sleep, I'll just be in the Dining Hall."

"Doll," Nathan started. She kissed his nose, silencing him.

"Please?" He looked so tired and she felt guilty. "I'll wake you up in a few hours."

Nathan closed his eyes again. "Fine."

She quietly closed the washroom door to change into a gray dress. It had short sleeves, and she sighed when she put on the dress. She missed gray. When she left the room, she peeked at Nathan's face to see him deeply asleep.

Azalea walked to the Dining Hall slowly, unaccustomed to walking. The past few days, she had only walked to the washroom and back to bed.

When she made it to the door, she couldn't open it. She turned the knob and tried to push the door open, but it felt like she was pushing a wall.

_How embarrassing_, Azalea could feel heat rising in her cheeks. The herb dosages were either too high, or she was still very weak. She'd have to go get Nathan to open the door for her.

Someone opened the door when she turned back to get Nathan. It was Eugene. "Here," he held the door open for her.

"Thank you," she smiled at him, startled when he smiled back. He pulled her chair open for her and sat across from her. Liam and David were eating a few chairs down, and waved at her when they saw her walk in.

"What will it be?" Eugene asked her, a smile on his handsome face. "Bread or more honey? I think we still have some left."

_Honey_, Azalea tried to remember what Rapunzel had said to her that afternoon. She couldn't remember. "Honey and biscuits would be good."

"I'll be right back then," Eugene stood up, smiling at her. David and Liam scooted down a few chairs. David ended up sitting next to her while Liam sat down in the chair next to Eugene's.

"Hey, Azal." Liam greeted her with a smile. "How are you doing?"

"I'm doing good, Liam." Azalea could feel deep down that she had changed somehow. "I feel different, though."

"Different how?" David's eyes were looking at her stitches politely. "You mean light headed? Does Olivia need to lower the dose?"

She shook her head. "No, I just don't feel right." She didn't feel light headed, but something was off.

Eugene sat back down, pushing a plate of biscuits to her and a cup of milk. She could feel their eyes on her while she nibbled on one. She had asked for them, but now she felt sick to her stomach.

"You all right?" Liam asked her.

"Rapunzel told me not to eat those." Azalea stood up, pushing the plate away. How could she have forgotten?

"Azalea?" She turned around, and was startled to see Nathan.

"I thought you were sleeping." She exclaimed, looking back at the biscuits. Nathan looked edgy, and was glaring.

"Rapunzel woke me up."

Liam looked at Nathan with wide brown eyes. "What's with you?"

"Michael found Sarah, and she said Jacob's still around. Jacob can go burn in hell."

Liam couldn't get to his feet fast enough. "Sarah's okay?"

"Maya's got Sage, come on, Liam." Nathan opened the door, and Liam practically ran through it.

Nathan grabbed her hand and they all hurried after Liam, the biscuits forgotten. When they made it to the halls, she could see Liam running to a woman in the distance. He scooped her up and swung her around, putting her down to kiss her cheek.

Something brushed her leg as it went passed her. She looked down to see Sage rushing to his parents, wobbling on little legs. He crashed into his mother, and Liam bent down to swing him around as well. Azalea could hear them crying, and she stopped where she was. It was a personal moment, and Azalea felt that she was intruding.

Nathan slowed as well. "Let's get out of here," he looked at Liam and Sarah began to dance. Azalea realized that Liam was making up for not being able to dance with her at the ball. Sage was on Liam's back and played with his father's hair. Sage was surprisingly well balanced on Liam, and Azalea came to the conclusion that the tiny family had done it before.

Eugene and David were watching from the Dining Hall, and waved at them before going back inside when Nathan and Azalea walked to their room.

"Go to sleep, Nat." Azalea kissed his nose. Nathan kissed her on the lips, and then frowned.

"Fine." Nathan pretended to pout. Azalea giggled at his sorrowful expression. Nathan rolled his eyes playfully, then glanced at the bed. He turned back to her, still pouting. She waved him to the bed, and he sighed.

Nathan walked to the bed, stumbled on his exhausted feet, and fell down. She blinked when his head came dangerously near the wooden supports of the bed. He groaned when he hit the floor. Azalea squeaked in surprise and bent over him. "Nathan? Are you okay?"

Nathan groaned again, and she turned him over. His eyes were closed, and he seemed to stop breathing.

"Nathan?" She shook him. Had he hit his head on the fall? If so, why did he stop breathing? What if he was dead? Her mouth formed an _o_ of horror at the thought.

Nathan blinked a green eye open and stared at her. "Azalea?" He mumbled, his voice hoarse.

"Are you okay?" Relief flooded through her. He was moving at least. "Did you hurt something?"

"My head," Nathan sat up, his hair ruffled, staring at her with those forest pools of his. "My head hurts."

Azalea sat on his lap, staring at his black flop of hair. She couldn't tell if he had hit his head hard enough to form a lump. Nathan bent his head down to kiss at the crook of her neck. Azalea stifled a surprised chirp; his sudden kisses distracted her for a moment.

"Hold still." Azalea said, trying to gather her thoughts. Nathan froze, his lips still on her neck, and she gently touched his head with two hands. She rubbed his head, combing her fingers through his hair, searching for lumps. To her surprise, there were none. "Nathan?"

"Mm?" Nathan put his arms around her back.

"Are you sure you hit your head?" Azalea tried not to squirm. Nathan rubbed her back with warm hands that she could feel through her nightgown.

"I'm sure I did; check the middle of my head." Nathan mumbled at her neck. She shivered, and then moved her hands around his head. She pushed her fingers in a little to feel for lumps more efficiently. Nathan sighed, and one of his hands went up to caress her hair.

Azalea then tried to remember how he fell. He hadn't hit the wooden supports, because even though she had blinked, she would have heard the impact. Nathan hadn't-

Nathan's hands gripped her tighter to him when she tried to pull away. "You've figured it out?"

Azalea tried harder. "Nathan, aren't you tired?" What was he doing?

"Not anymore." Nathan cooed, and then kissed her. His kisses always made her see stars, but this time she was seeing snow falling behind her eyelids. His hand left her hair, and joined his other hand on her back. He kissed her again, and then she was struggling to get out of his lap.

"Nathan!" Azalea fell back onto the floor, trying to crawl away. His eyes were dancing green flames, and he crawled after her. She got to her feet and hurried to the washroom. "Nathan!"

Nathan stood up, moving faster than she thought possible. She tried to close the door quickly, but Nathan caught the door before it shut, and closed it behind him. He pushed her against the wall. "I love it when you kiss me." Nathan laid fiery kisses down her collarbone. Azalea gulped hard and tried to squirm from his grip. "One day, you'll never leave the bedroom."

Azalea squeaked and tried harder. "Nathan!" He pushed her back against the wall, chuckling when she squeaked from his shove. Nathan's hands curled themselves in her hair, and she gasped when he pressed his lips to hers again.

Nathan's eyes burned into hers, and she swallowed when he pulled away, untangling his fingers from her hair. He took a step backwards, and watched her.

Azalea tried to steady her breathing, but it came out in rapid gasps. Azalea put her hand on her heart, and gulped. Nathan's eyes crinkled as he smiled, and then he had her in his arms. He stood there, holding her like Liam had held Sage, and his nose was right next to her ear. "Azal?"

"Hm?" Azalea breathed steadily through her nose, trying hard not to tremble in his grip. Nathan held her tighter.

"I'm not done." Nathan walked from the washroom. He set her down on the bed, and then grabbed her waist when she tried to crawl away. He pulled her back to him, and then she was panting. She couldn't keep up with him.

Nathan sighed when she relented, and turned her around. He cupped her chin, and pecked her on the lips. He sat in front of her, and one hand stroked her lower back while they kissed. She was melting at his gentle touch, and then she had her hands around his neck.

"I like spicy things, too. Not just sweets." Nathan said around her lips. She opened her eyes to see his eyes smoldering. He pushed her on her back, and sat on her lap. Nathan pushed her hair from her eyes, and she struggled to remember why she had tried to run. He was so _gentle_.

Nathan bent down, and she saw that his shirt was still off. "Nathan, where's your shirt?"

"You took it off for me." He pointed to his shirt on the floor and she leaned over to see. "It looks good there, doesn't it?"

She didn't reply, still caught up in something strange. This was what was missing earlier. Nathan.

"Your dress and my pants need to join my shirt. It's lonely." Nathan laid on top of her, not crushing her with his weight, but gently pushing against her. Nathan stroked her lips with his own. Her fingers went up to play with his hair, and she dimly felt her neck aching.

Nathan kissed her harder, and somehow she was rubbing his arms. Nathan blinked hard, and then laid his head on her neck. His warm breath made her shiver under him.

After a few moments, Nathan sat up. He pulled her up to kiss her cheek, and then he shifted to his side of the bed.

"Night."

"Night?" Azalea sat up, confused when he rolled away. "We hardly did anything." Azalea could feel the ache inside begin to flare. "You do all that, and then you say 'night'?"

Nathan smiled. "Yup." His lips made the _p_ pop.

Azalea put her head in her hands. "You made me think you were going to eat me!"

"I was, but I'm saving you for dessert later." Nathan rubbed her shoulder. "Had fun?"

"Why would you do that to me?" Azalea demanded, struggling to comprehend the tears falling from her eyes. Nathan wiped them away with his soft thumbs.

"It was a test to make sure you were feeling better." Nathan looked at her, and the beautiful green fire was gone. "So we can continue next time."

"Nathan Valor Lei Keen, you are the most beautiful monster I have ever met."

"At least I'm beautiful." Nathan chuckled, and kissed her 'goodnight'.


	77. Stitches

K*H*W* (go to my profile :)

* * *

><p><span>Chapter Seventy Seven<span>

I looked up at Eugene and Olivia. "Do we have to do this?"

"Yes, Rapunzel, we do." Olivia looked as unhappy as I was. "A surprise attack would be better than telling her. It's going to hurt, so surprise will be needed."

I sighed. "She'll hate me for this."

"No, she wouldn't." Eugene kissed my cheek. "If she knew what was coming, she'd hate you for telling her."

Guy looked at us from his seat. "Eugene, ready for more training?"

Eugene looked at Guy, and a grimace twisted his face. "You've got a broken arm."

"And Rapunzel sang for me. It's better now." Guy's arm was still in the sling, but he was able to bend it now. I grimaced as well.

"Guy," I started. Eugene and Guy looked at me with matching hopeful expressions and I crumbled. "Take it easy."

Guy punched the air in triumph. "Thanks, Rapunzel. Eugene, let's go."

Eugene stood and picked up his empty plate. "See you, Blondie." He pecked my lips. "Good luck."

I waved, and then when they both were gone, I messed with the end of my braid. "Liv, she's going to fight like Jacob's on her."

Olivia frowned and helped me from my seat. "At least we've got Nathan helping."

"He might let her loose."

Olivia groaned. "Let me go find Fernidia and Adam."

_And Adam?_ I blinked. "What? I thought she and Michael were going together."

Olivia's frown went deeper into her face. "I know. I thought so too. Something must have happened."

I waved to Olivia, and sat down in the library. I thumbed through a book, and put it back on the shelves. I paced the library, feeling anxious. I looked back out the window, and jumped when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Hi, Rapunzel." It was Michael.

"Michael, you scared me." I took one look at him and saw that the clouds were now permanently part of his eyes. His blond hair was messy and he had circles under his eyes. What was happening to him? It was like every day Michael was becoming a ragged shadow of his former self.

"Sorry." He sat down on one of the chairs, and I frowned at the stiffness in his movements. "Where's Fernidia?"

"With Adam, I think." I sat down again, and peered at him.

"That's good; I'm glad she has him." Michael mumbled under his breath. I pretended not to hear him.

"Are you okay?" I asked him, struggling to sit up straighter. "You look tired."

"I'm all right." Michael raked a shaking hand through his fingers. "It's been tough with Azalea healing. I thought she was dying."

I nodded, though Michael's words didn't make sense. Azalea was healing nicely, and it had been at least a week since the trial. Where had he been?

"Michael, come help me!" I heard Olivia say. I looked up from the floor and saw her standing a few feet from us. Fernidia and Adam were standing next to her, and I saw them both give Michael an encouraging smile.

"What are we doing?" Michael stood up, his knees trying to buckle under them. He grabbed at the chair for support.

"I need to take out Azalea's stitches," Olivia looked pained to say so. "I need you guys to help me."

"It's not like she'll struggle." Adam looked at Fernidia, then me. "Will she?" He asked, sensing that I knew her best.

"I just need you guys to be in the room with me. Once I start, you'll see what you will need to help me with." Olivia held a cloth in one hand and in another hand I saw a knife.

I fell backwards, and had to sit in a chair. I struggled to breathe. "Rapunzel?" Fernidia was suddenly in front of me. She looked at my eyes and raised her hand to slap me. She waited, and when I started breathing shallower, her hand went flying across my face.

"Fernidia!" Olivia shouted, rushing forward. She put the knife and cloth on the table. "Why did you slap her?"

"She saw the knife and panicked." Fernidia said calmly, rubbing her red hand. I sucked in a deep breath and exhaled.

"You're going to cut her stitches with the knife?" I stared at Olivia with wide eyes. Michael and Adam hung back, though their faces were so alike in disapproval, I could see both of them on each other's faces.

"I have to." Olivia put her hands on her hips, frowning and glaring at the knife. "Believe me, I rather not do this anyway."

"She's going have to be out cold then." Adam walked up. He edged around Fernidia to grab the knife. I saw a flash of movement and saw Michael flinching. His hands twitched and his gaze was fixed on the knife.

"Michael?" I blinked. "What's wrong?"

"Will Eugene be with us?" Michael's voice was barely above a whisper.

Adam shook his head. "No, he and Guy went pass me and Fernidia on the way here saying they were going to train again."

Michael exhaled a breath I hadn't realized he was holding, and then he was walking away. "I need to go see what Liam and Sarah are doing."

I sighed sadly when Michael was gone. He had been such a good friend before, but now since the ball, he seemed to shrink within himself to where who he seemed to be now was fake. Where had the real Michael gone? I missed him.

I looked at my friend's dismayed faces and saw that they missed him too.

"Let's get this over with." Adam frowned, looking after his younger brother. "I'll hold the cloth down."

"When she's out, let me know so I can cut the stitches." Olivia looked at her feet.

Fernidia looked at Olivia. "Be careful with the knife, Liv." Fernidia's blue eyes were unusually remote when she looked back to where Michael had gone.

Olivia looked at Fernidia. "Will do."

I followed them to the room. "Where's Nathan?"

"He's in on it, don't worry." Olivia looked guilty. "I'm going to hate this."

So I wasn't the only one.

_Azalea's Point of View_

Azalea sat up, feeling warm and sleepy. "Nathan?"

"Hm?" He was looking out the window. "It's almost spring, Azalea. The flowers are blooming." His green eyes looked at her, and then away quickly. "Want to see?"

Azalea crawled off the bed and joined him by the window. His hand rubbed her shoulder and she snuggled against him. She gazed out the window. There were numerous cottages crowded around the palace, and to the right, she could see the dreaded check-in. She looked to the left, to the cottages and smiled. There were daisies, tulips, and many other flowers that were finally making their appearances. She looked to the left of the many tiny cottages near the palace walls and saw Anna-Beth's hibiscuses in beautiful shades of purples, pinks, and blues.

Nathan moved away from the window. "Aw."

"What?" She glanced at him then back to the window. He moved to the bedroom door. "What is it?"

"No more blizzards now." He poked out his lower lip and she started giggling. Thank goodness she wouldn't have to go gliding again. It was fun, but she didn't like the thought of sliding on thin ice.

Silence settled in the room. Azalea kept staring out the window, looking at the sun's light shining down on the little homes of the villagers and the flowers that surrounded them.

Her neck tingled, and she bit her lip. "Nathan?"

It was very quiet.

She moved to the washroom, feeling uneasy. Maybe he had slipped out to get something from the Dining Hall. She washed her hands, and dried them on a towel lying next to the wash basin. Azalea blinked. The room suddenly seemed very crowded. What was going on?

Dwayne looks at what she was wearing. "Do you have anything with a lower neckline?"

"I beg your pardon?" The deep peach dress reaches for her ankles. "You're going to have to buy one for me."

Jacob peeks in the room. "I got it." He holds up a blue gown, with white laces for the bodice. It has no sleeves, and stretches for her knees.

"You want me to wear _that_?" The neckline plunges down. Azalea takes it from him, blinking. "Where are we going?"

"We're stopping by Alec's house." Dwayne answers. He pushes Jacob out the room.

"Alec?" Azalea asks right when he closes the door. She looks at the gown, and then at her hair in the mirror. She puts it on, tightens the laces a bit, and combs her hair out with her hands. The braids make her hair wavy.

She opened the washroom door a slit, and blinked. "Nathan?" Was this another test of his? She scratched her head, feeling more uneasy. She hadn't even heard the door close behind him. Had he even opened the door at all?

Azalea opened the door wider, and stepped out. She'd sit on the bed until he came back. She walked to the bed, glancing at the window again. Air whooshed behind her, and then she suddenly couldn't see. Something pressed itself to face, and she screamed.

"Put her on the bed!" A command was yelled, and then Azalea could feel someone trying to push her to the floor. Terrible memories tried to unearth themselves from her mind. She lurched up, still screaming, and kicked with her legs. Someone muttered a curse, and then the cloth was gone.

Her eyes started watering and the faces became blurs. She tried to gather her breath, but then she was pulled up by under her shoulders.

"Come on, Azalea." Dwayne's voice is exasperated. He is losing patience with her. _Good._

"No!" Azalea backs away from him. "It's not my fault Jacob can't become a blacksmith. He should have stayed with trying to become a knight."

"Please?" Dwayne asks her. She pulls away from him when he tries to give her an encouraging hug. "Alec Ruffins is a bastard. There is nothing evil about Jacob and I don't know why he'd believe his brother."

"Then why am I being sent to Alec's house?" Azalea demands. "To show him a good time?"

Jacob walks around the corner, and he shushes them. "You two are louder than screaming cats. Calm down."

"Calm down?" Azalea demands. Alec Ruffins had a brother, and though she had never met him, she knew that Alex Ruffins was one of the wardens at the prison. "I'm not going to Alec's house. His brother will kill me, and then send me to jail."

"But Alec loves girls like you." Jacob looks her up and down. She stifles a shiver, hating the new Jacob. Jacob before had been hopeful and ambitious, now he was cold-hearted and ruthless. "He'd let me become a blacksmith with you in his bed."

Azalea turns green. "Are you listening to him?" She whirls to Dwayne. "I'm not becoming a plaything for any man!"

"I'm sorry, Azal," Azalea hates Dwayne's nickname for her in that moment. Before, when he had first called her that, he was because she had nearly broken her arm again. Now he uses it as a pet name, and she is afraid that he would tell Alec to call her that during . . . Business hours.

Dwayne goes on, trying to win her over. "It'd just be once a day, anytime he wants, and you and Jacob will be getting paid."

"I don't get to decide?" Azalea isn't giving in. "Say I did say yes to this. What would I get to choose?"

"What you wear." Jacob is suddenly right behind her. "But then he takes it off, so there's really no point."

Azalea bites her lip to keep from gagging. "Is that all?"

Dwayne pauses in thought, looking at the darkening sky above them. "You get to choose whether or not you can bear his child."

Azalea chokes. "What?"

Jacob looks down. "You don't really have a choice in this. I don't know why you keep fighting."

Azalea feels her heart beat faster as her mind pieces it together. "Is this an arranged marriage?"

The Fernando Brothers look down and Azalea nearly fainted.

"Adam, hurry!" Azalea yanked hard from the person holding her by the shoulders. Who was in the room with her? Adam? The herb stuff was in her system now, and she was starting to feel sluggish.

"Stop, stop!" She yelled, landing hard on the ground face up. She felt her breath leave her body when she collided with the floor, and then she was coughing. Something warm and heavy, a hand, pushed her to the floor and then the cloth was on her face again.

She started seeing stars and struggled harder, trying to keep her head. "Help! Anyone, please!" She tried to push the person off, and tried to remember how to breathe to scream.

"Azalea, where are you going?" Jacob yanks on her arm when she starts to walk from them. "You can't run away from this."

"Don't touch me." Azalea pulls away and glares daggers at him. Dwayne is nowhere in sight, and she feels dread churn in her stomach.

Jacob grabs her arm again, his nails becoming claws. She gasps in pain, and looks at his dark gray eyes to find them looking cloudy as always. "Come on; Alec's waiting."

He drags her to one of the lit up cottages, and knocks on the door. "Alec?"

A man with dark brown hair and darker eyes stares at them. He looks at Jacob. "Nice to see you, Jacob." Jacob smiles and nods at Azalea. The man looks at her and his eyes sparkle. Azalea feels her skin pale. "That's a feisty one."

"She's still struggling." Jacob hands her over to Alec, and she immediately feels objectified. Is this really how some men saw women? As objects; like playthings? "What should I do? She's all yours now. Her mother is gone at the moment, no father in her life."

"Go get her happy." Alec holds her close to him for a moment, one hand wandering up and down her body slowly, and Azalea realizes then that she is trembling.

"Help!" Azalea cried again, still feeling Alec's arms. She kicked and punched the air, hoping for contact with skin so she could be released.

Jacob grabs her arm again, laughing when she tries to pull away. "See you in a few?"

"I'll meet you there actually." Alec closes the door. Jacob glares at her and switched his left arm holding her shoulder to his right arm. He grabs at her waist with his left, and pulls her to him.

"If you ruin this for me, I'll slit your throat." Jacob's words are very serious but he softens them with a laugh. "I want to see you happy, Azal. Alec looks like he'd make you happy."

Azalea gulps. "He'll eat me alive, Jacob."

"You are a spicy little thing, though. He'd have fun." Jacob walks faster to the Tavern. "He'll make it where you both have fun."

Azalea struggles again, suddenly feeling sick. "Jacob, why did you want to become a blacksmith?" Azalea at least needed to know his reasons.

"If I can make a knife strong enough to kill Guy Starnes in one stroke, I could become leader of the knights." Jacob's voice is smiling, and she is glad she couldn't see his face in the dark of night. "I've been a knight in Training for so long, and then to be overlooked like Guy's father overlooked me, well."

Jacob's voice sounds dangerous. "It started a fire, darlin'."

Darling. That was when she knew she wasn't talking to the real Jacob.

Azalea gulps when they reached the tavern doors. "Jacob," she couldn't speak. Why would she help him?

"I'll make it where you'll be safe." Jacob kisses her cheek, and she sighs. This is the Jacob she missed. Dwayne has someone as well, a frisky girl whose name she can't remember. Dwayne always had women knocking on his door. Jacob bites his lip. "Mind you, I wish it was you and me in the bed. We've been courting for six months now. It's a bit overdue, do you think?"

Azalea shakes her head, and sighs. "Jacob, why kill Guy?"

"He'll overlook me like his father."

"Isn't there another way? I don't want any violence." Azalea's voice trembles.

Jacob sighs. "Stay with Alec for me, and I'll find another way." He looks at her for consent, and then she is nodding. If only there was a way to make him stay like how he used to be.

She looks at the smiling bartender watching them. "I'll take. . ." What had she drunk the night Jacob and Dwayne had moved out of their parent's house? They had been so drunk, and she had been tipsy and dizzy. Whatever that was, she'd need it again.

"She'll have two rounds, please." Jacob sits her down at a table for two. He sits down in front of her, and looks at her with sad dark gray eyes. "I'll miss seeing you all the time. When I become a knight, and you married and with-child all the time, we'll hardly see each other around."

"With-child?" Azalea puts her head in her hands, stifling sobs. Her Mother is gone for the night again, and now she is suddenly being forced to marry a Warden's older brother?

Jacob nods solemnly. The bartender comes and drops off their drinks. She grabs hers, and sips it. "Jacob, why did you make it where I had to marry him?"

"I didn't. Dwayne did." Jacob sips his drink, the clouds appearing _again_, and then looks at her. "Drink faster, it'll help the rush."

Azalea gulps down more whiskey, and then her lips tremble. "So he'll be trying?"

"If you become with-child, it's by accident." Jacob lets her think it over. She gulps down more whiskey when it becomes too much to think about. "Drink up, Azalea."

"Hey, Azal. What are you doing here?" Dwayne walks to their table, holding his own glass of whiskey. Azalea can't meet his eyes, and gulps down more of her drink when he brings a chair up to their table. "Shouldn't you be with Alec?"

"He's meeting us here." Jacob says. He looks at Azalea, and then the old Jacob is back; the clouds leave his eyes. His eyes are sad again, but he nudges her foot with his shoe and smiles when she looks up.

The cloth was yanked away when a new voice entered the room. "What the hell is going on here? Adam, get off her!" Dwayne's loud shout quieted everyone. Who was in the room with her? Where had Nathan gone?

She sat up quickly, stumbling to her feet. She ran out the room, tripping and seeing double. She had to run, now that Adam had let her up-

"Hey, Azalea." Alec's voice makes her jump. She looks up after gulping down the rest of her whiskey. Jacob and Dwayne's faces harden into the faces of remorse, and then they take their cue. Jacob gets up, and pushes Alec to the table when he takes Jacob's seat. Dwayne ruffles her hair, and Jacob touches her shoulder briefly. She watches them walk out, and turns back to Alec.

"Hi, Alec." She tries to smile but she can feel her heart crumbling. She was being left again.

"Refills?" The same bartender comes back. He nods at Alec and looks at Azalea. She stifles a shiver when his eyes meet hers. His dark brown tousled head turns back to Alec.

"Two, please." Alec is grinning. The bartender leaves with a fleeting glance at Azalea. Azalea wishes for sleeves, suddenly feeling exposed. Alec looks at her. "We'll be married in the winter."

She nods, and takes a long sip of her whiskey when it arrives. It tastes bitter this time, but whiskey's taste varied on the crops. "What happens tonight?"

"I'll make you glad you came to my house to marry me."

She gulps down her whiskey, and tries hard to pretend she hadn't heard.

"Azalea, wait!" Dwayne's voice was right behind her and she could hear his footsteps as he gained on her. "Azalea!"

She tumbled to the ground, her lungs aching. She could still feel the blows-

Alec grabs her hand and pulls her out of the bar. He nods at the bartender that watches them go. Azalea staggers, and the world shifts and warps around her. She is drunk. Mother will be so disappointed when she finds out.

"You're happy now, right?" Alec's other hand goes to touch her lower back. It edged up and down.

Alec takes a shortcut through dark alleys, and she squeezes to him because of the shadows. She can't see the stars in the sky.

"Mother's going to be so mad." Azalea hiccups, almost liking the way his hand moves. "She says it's bad when women get drunk."

"No, no." Alec coos, pulling her closer to him though she is practically fused into his shoulder. One of his hands goes down to loosen her bodice laces. "She just didn't want you to make a habit of it. When women get drunk, men find them and make them so happy." Alec sighs in sadness.

"Are you drunk?" Azalea leans on him, now needing the support. Alec is a nice guy. His hand on her back is too low for comfort, but she is about to marry him. That makes him nice.

"No." Alec laughs. "I don't get drunk. In fact, I hardly had a sip." His cup seemed empty the entire time, while every time she gulped down her whiskey, it filled again before the bartender had come back.

"Oh," Azalea jerks up straighter when Alec's hand goes impossibly lower. "Don't touch there." She looks around the dark night. "I'm cold."

"When we get home, you'll have so much fun you won't be cold." Alec is a really nice guy.

She looks at her bare arms and blinks. "Where's my. . ."

"Your what?" Alec pauses, and she doesn't recognize where they were.

"My sleeves are gone."

"You don't have sleeves on your dress, Azalea." Alec turns her to him. He bends down to kiss her, and she turns her head so he kisses her cheek. "Feeling warm yet?" His hand rubs her shoulder.

"A little, why?" Azalea finds it hard to think straight. She hears something crash behind them and stiffens. "What was that?"

"Another man who will make you happy." Alec's grip tightens on her shoulder, and then she can feel goose bumps rising on her arms.

Dwayne hurled her to her feet, eyeing the guards around them that started staring. "Come back to the room."

"Dwayne, let me go!" She pulled away, her vision blurring with tears. How could she have let Alec trick her like that?

Azalea screams when she feels a hand on her other shoulder. "Come on, Alec." The man says, and she recognizes the voice: it is the person who had tended them in the tavern.

"Is the stove on for our little plan?" The bartender asks, sounding puzzled. He sees Alec nod in the darkness, and looks at her, his eyes grinning.

He pushes her against a wall, and she can feel their combined breath on her face. She struggles to see, but there isn't a moon in the sky. "Alec, what's going on?"

"Let's take her to your house and make some fun happen." The bartender says. Alec nibbles on the crook of her neck, and through the whiskey, she can feel tears streaming down her face. The bartender carries her like a father carries his child. His hand gropes her quivering thigh, and she bites her lip. He moves her legs to where they are around his waist and then a door is opening.

The door slams shut.

She stands up, trying to back away from them. Alec grabs her and wraps her in a tight hug, his hands edging down. She protests, and releases her. He throws her to the ground, and she lands on her stomach. She is yanked up by her hair, and then she sees the bartender's face when his hand goes flying across her cheek. Alec grabs her by her arm, and shoves her to the bartender. He breathes heavily in her ear, and she struggles to stay calm.

The bartender holds onto her shoulders, and in a fast movement, she is pinned to the wall. She gasps at the terrible impact it has on her back, and then screams when the bartender shoves her away.

She lands on wood and splinters bite into her skin.

"Damn, sorry, Alec."

"No one lives here." Alec says. "It's one of the spare houses for the visitors."

The bartender yanks her up, and holds her bridal style.

She feels the rush of air.

The sudden absent contact of the bartender's skin.

She hits the bed.

They laugh.

Butterflies in her stomach.

Alec walks to the bed.

She finally finds the air to scream.

She struggles.

Blows land on her body.

She goes still, seeing red stars.

More wetness falling from her eyes.

Ripping. Tearing.

Relentless, brutal blows hit her body. Slaps everywhere. Slaps on her now bruised face.

A red-hot pain across her back, in a circle. Her body becomes a canvas: black, purple, and blue.

"One, two, three." Cuts across her shoulders, fueling her fear of knives.

Feeling the cold air against her bare skin.

Alec whistles.

The bartender chuckles, but it is somehow sad.

They both sit on the bed, smiling at her.

Ripping. Tearing. This time, it is their clothes.

Alec pushes her on her back face-up.

Skin against hers.

"What the hell are you doing?" Dwayne screams. The door is being kicked open. She feels them being ripped away and she curls up in a ball.

"What the hell have you done to her?" Jacob and Dwayne are in the room. She can hear the impact of punches and kicks. Dwayne and his brother are enraged.

"We were having fun." Alec defends himself. "I asked a friend to help me out. She's too good to keep from other men."

"That was not part of the deal, you bastard!" She hears Dwayne yell, and then the sharp thud of the vicious kick. She hears Alec cry out, and then she is shivering.

Jacob looks at her, she can feel his eyes on her, and then stops Dwayne. "You laid your hands on her!"

"Fun for us is a different fun for her." The bartender is protesting. "She was resisting."

"Look at her. . . Oh my God." Jacob gasps. She opens her one good eye to look at Jacob. His shoulders shake with sobs and he pulls off the sheets to cover her up. "Azalea, I'm so sorry." He picks her up, and he bends his lips down to kiss the bruised part of her cheek. "I'm so sorry that I let them. . . I'm sorry, Azalea. I'm sorry."

Dwayne looks angry and he leads them out. When Jacob crosses the threshold, Dwayne turns back into the house.

"What's he saying to them?" Azalea can hardly talk from screaming and crying so much.

"He's giving them a warning." Jacob looks down at her, and she winces at the shadows around them. She'd dream of the bartender coming out of the darkness to 'have fun'.

"A warning?" Her voice sounds thick.

"If I see them going after any other woman, I'm beating the hell out of them." Dwayne is right behind them. He looks at Azalea and remorse fills his eyes for the second time that night.

"I've got her." Dwayne was carrying her. Azalea blinked. When had that happened? She struggled, trying to roll out of his arms even if it meant falling on the floor._ Alec liked to mess with her, but Matthew enjoyed inflicting pain._

"Thank you, Dwayne." Olivia's voice. Dwayne set her down on the bed, and then she was struggling again.

"Alec, no more!" She rolled off the bed quickly, throwing frenzied punches and kicks like she had on that night. "Leave me alone!"

"Alec?" Adam's voice buzzed in her ears. She was being put back on the bed again. The cloth covered her face.

"Azalea?" Someone shakes her awake.

She opens her good eye, wincing at the light that dances in front of her eyes. "D-Dwayne?"

Dwayne and Jacob's dark gray eyes are staring at her worriedly from the table. Jacob moves over to her slowly, and then sits down on the bed. "You're okay, Azal. You're okay."

Azalea nods, crying out when the moment hurt her back as her chest heaves. Dwayne gets up as well, and stands by her bedside. "Azalea," his voice is low. "We need to know something."

"Surely it can wait, Dwayne?" Jacob looks at his twin in mild irritation. Dwayne glares back.

"No, it can't." Dwayne looks at her. "Azalea, did they. . .?" His eyes are slowly filling with worry.

Azalea blinks hard and struggles to remember. "I don't know. I-I fought them off, I think." She puts her head in her hands. "If I show signs, I'll tell you-" she breaks into sobs.

Jacob rubs her bruised shoulder and Dwayne sits down next to her on the bed. He kisses her cheek, and for a moment, she doesn't know which one to turn to. She stays in the middle, and sobs.

"I wish Mother were here." She gasps through her cries. Her mother is gone again, tending to the little girl who was now sixteen.

"I know," Jacob rubs her back soothingly.

Dwayne looks around the house. "She can't be alone now."

Jacob nods. "I know. One of us will have to stay with her."

Azalea shudders. "You think they'll come back?"

Dwayne looks uncomfortable and lied for her benefit. "They should leave you alone."

"Who do you want to stay with you?" Jacob bites his lip and Azalea assumes he is busy. "There's no way I'm being a blacksmith anymore."

"Dwayne." She kisses Jacob's nose. "I'm sorry. But I want you t-to find a new dream." She feels a tiny smile make her face glow. "You need something without strings attached to it."

Jacob smiles a little. "Dwayne, would you mind?"

"Of course not." Dwayne gets up to make soup. "You don't mind, do you?"

"No. I just need to figure out what I'm going to do with my life now." Jacob sounds sad. For once, there aren't any clouds in his eyes. "I hope it's something good. I don't like violence too much at the moment." Jacob is the old Jacob then. Azalea wants it to stay that way, but she knows it wouldn't work that way.

When Jacob kisses her cheek, she pretends that it is the first time instead of the last to savor it.

"Dwayne, no! Don't let them touch me!" Azalea screamed around the cloth.

Nathan's cologne filled her nose and a warm hand grabbed her cold one. The cloth was released from her face, and she breathed in fresh air before the cloth was being put back on her face.

"Hold on," Nathan's voice was strained. "Stop a minute, Adam."

"I can't let it up or she'll move again. Olivia needs to work." Adam muttered. Nathan turned her head to his and he kissed her nose.

"You fought like a cat, Azalea."

Azalea didn't know whether to smile or cry. Wasn't that what Dwayne had said months later when she could stomach remembering the event?

Nathan looked at the crowd of people by the bed. Eugene was holding Rapunzel, who was looking teary eyed. Olivia and Fernidia had shallow bruises on their cheeks. Guy and Michael were staring wide-eyed at her.

She gets off the bed, tumbling to her knees. Jacob has pulled on her nightgown, and she clutches the fabric tightly to her skin. There are bandages on her shoulders, and she looks at both of them when they try to help her back to her feet.

"What is it? Do you need to go to the washroom?" Dwayne asks her.

She nods, and the Fernando Brothers help her to the washroom. Jacob opens the door, and when she staggers in, he closes it back.

She opens it again. "Come here."

Dwayne and Jacob tip-toe in the room, eyeing her warily. "What is it?"

Azalea looks at the tall mirror in front of her, and takes off the nightgown. Jacob and Dwayne suck in identical breaths of shock and horror. She can see their eyes staring at the bruises rather than her body.

She looks at her reflection, trying to comprehend the purples, blues, and blacks that decorate her skin. Her lip is busted, and she has a black eye. The bruises are all over, and she is shaking when she sees the ones on her chest and thighs. She turns around, and sees a circle in the middle of her back between her shoulder blades.

"I like that, Matthew." Alec is grinning when he stares at the circle that she can't see. Alec has her face shoved into the pillows, only letting her up after she stops struggling because of the lack of air. She is allowed to suck in a breath, and whenever she starts struggling, she'd be held down until she stopped.

"It's a moon. I need to add in the gray spots." Matthew's voice makes her skin crawl. Alec liked to mess with her, but Matthew enjoyed inflicting pain.

"Just do little dots." Alec suggests, and then her face is let up. She gasps for air, and can't speak.

"If I ever meet Alex Ruffins, I'm telling him about his brother." Dwayne's voice brings her back. "He saw evil in you, Jacob. I don't see it at all." He meets Azalea's tear-filled eyes; Azalea hears the hidden message. Jacob may not be himself, and he hasn't been for a while, but he isn't evil like Alex had said. "We're not doing this again."

She backed away on the bed when Matthew walked to her. He put on a concerned smile. "Azalea, let Olivia do this."

"D-Don't c-come a-any c-closer." Azalea stammered, glaring at Matthew. He had Eugene's voice.

Dwayne looked at her and she flinched. He looked at everyone in the room around them and nodded. Shouts filled the room. Adam grabbed at her arms, and she pushed him away. She quickly was pinned down by Matthew, and she screamed. A handsome man with black hair and green eyes grabbed her arms. She pulled away, and whipped her hand around to slap him across the face. A man with blond hair and brown eyes opened his arms to grab her, but she fell to her knees to crawl around him. She made it to the door, and turned the knob.

Her vision warped as she tried to step over the threshold, and she slammed into something warm. She looked up and saw Alec.

A bloodcurdling scream flew from her mouth, and then she was backing up, crawling back into the room. Alec loomed over her and looked at Dwayne. "What in the devil are you guys doin' to her? You can hear her screaming in the Dining Hall."

"Olivia needs to take out the stitches, and I think she's had enough of the herbs to start hallucinating." Matthew explained. The room went quiet.

Alec looked back down on her and she crawled into the wall, whimpering. She sucked in a tight breath when his hand reached down to touch her forehead. "She's flamin' hot. Let her rest for a moment."

"Alex, back up." Dwayne's voice was loud in the silent room. "She thinks you're someone else."

Alec rolled his eyes. "Right." He bent down to a stoop, and stared at her. "You all right?"

Azalea struggled not to dry heave. Alec was playing a game. His eyes crinkled in worry, and she knew it for sure then. She staggered to her feet, and pushed him away. Big, fat tears rolled down her cheeks, and then her vision warped again. She glimpsed Rapunzel, Michael, and Fernidia leave the room. Guy lingered by the threshold, his right arm dangled uselessly.

"Catch her!" She heard the man with black hair shout. Adam grabbed her by her waist and threw her on the bed face-up. Why were the handsome black haired man and her friends involved with Alec and Matthew? Why was Dwayne in here helping?

"Dwayne," she laid limp on the bed, her skin flushed red. She could hardly breathe.

"I'm right here." Dwayne was right next to her, as was the man with dark hair. She saw Matthew and Guy leave with Alex in tow. Olivia, Adam, Dwayne, and the man with dark hair were still in the room.

"It hurts to remember." She whimpered, and then Dwayne was stroking her hair. Adam put the cloth over her nose, and a tiny smile appeared on his face.

"Alec's not in here." Dwayne moved the cloth for a moment, and rocked her in his arms. He rubbed her back, with another warm hand that felt familiar, and then sobs escaped him. "Alec's not here, Azalea. He's not."

She struggled to remember the other warm hand on her back. She had run from Nathan last night, having forgotten why, and now she remembered. She had been reliving running from Alec and Matthew in the small spare house.

Dwayne grabbed the cloth, his eyes wet with tears, and put it to her face again. "Azalea," he said her name when her vision warped again, for a longer period of time. She could feel herself being put back on the bed. Her eyes stared at the ceiling. "Azalea," he called again.

She struggled to move her gaze to him. "Nathan's here for you."

_Nathan_? It slowly came back to her. "N-Nathan?"

Someone turned her head to him, the cloth still on her face. "I'm right here, Doll."

His green eyes were smoldering pain. Nathan's hand grabbed her numbing one, and his thumb stroked her red fingers.

"I'm n-not going to d-die a-again, am I?" She tried to focus on his face while the herbs on the cloth began to work. Her vision darkened.

Nathan's eyes glistened. "Of course not."

"H-how are you sure?" She felt more tears roll down her face.

"Because if you die, we won't be able to make sweet love at night." Nathan kissed her nose. "So stick around for me."

Azalea's heart ached, and she wished he could see her smile under the cloth.

"Breathe in and out." Nathan's eyes watched her face. "In, and out. In. Out."

_In. Out. In. Out._ Azalea's head began to spin. After a few long moments, Olivia moved near them.

"Count with me." Nathan's voice was soft. "Backwards from ten."

"Ten." Azalea mumbled. Nathan's voice joined hers.

"Nine."

He held her hand tighter.

"Eight."

"Seven."

"Six." She began to feel light-headed as well, and tried to focus on Nathan's pretty green eyes that were overflowing with tears.

"Five."

Azalea stared in confusion as Nathan bit his lip to keep sobs at bay. Why was he crying?

"Four."

"Three."

Olivia sighed sadly.

"Two." Dwayne rubbed her back. He pressed the cloth to her face a little harder. _In. Out. In. Out. . ._

"One." Her mind spun away.

Nathan's eyes were the last thing she saw. Nathan's voice was the last voice she heard.

"Just remember that I love you, Doll."


	78. Collapse

Chapter Seventy Eight **Nathan's Point of View**

He looked back at the door, and moved toward it. "Aw."

Azalea looked at him with warm eyes, blurry from sleep. "What is it?" He was going to _hate_ this. She was never one for surprises.

"No more blizzards now." He pouted. Azalea started giggling, and he narrowed his eyes at disgust in himself. She turned back to the window, and Nathan gently opened the barely cracked door. He looked back at Azalea, and saw her walking into the washroom.

When he glanced back at the door, Rapunzel's anxious face was the first thing he saw. He quietly opened the door wider, and then Adam and Olivia flooded in after the princess. Rapunzel ducked behind the bed, and Olivia hid near the cubby hole of space by the window. Adam stayed by the window, where the washroom door was. Nathan felt pride at Adam's intelligence, but then remembered what they were doing, and his mood soured. When Azalea opened the door, Adam would be ready to pounce on her.

He crouched behind one end of the dresser, and then the door opened.

"Nathan?" He bit his lip to keep from answering. Nathan peeked up in time to see the door close.

Olivia yelled, "Put her on the bed!"

Adam appeared behind Azalea and put the cloth over her face. Azalea screamed in shock. Adam pushed her to the ground, the cloth still on her face. Azalea screamed, and fought to stay standing. She kicked out randomly, and then Adam was backing away, rubbing his shin.

Nathan moved quickly behind her and pulled her up by her shoulders. Azalea's screams were shooting arrows through his heart, and he was hesitantly moving. She pulled herself from his shoulders, now yelling for help. Her strength made her fall on the floor, and then Adam put his hand on her collarbone, trying to put the cloth back on her face.

Dwayne burst into the room. "What the hell is going on in here? Adam, get off her!" Adam jumped off Azalea, looking at her in exasperation when she ran out the door.

Rapunzel rapidly tried to explain, and Nathan was sure they all could feel the time ticking. Azalea could be anywhere within a matter of five minutes. "Olivia needs to get the stitches out. She's not handling it well, as you can see."

"No kidding." Adam grumbled. Nathan felt sympathetic and annoyed at the same time with him. What if they had told her first? _Damn it_.

"I'll get her." Dwayne ducked out the room. Nathan heard his footsteps down the hall. He sat down on the bed, trying to get his breath.

Olivia started fanning Rapunzel with her hands, who looked like she was beginning to fluster. "You all right?"

"We should have told her first." Rapunzel huffed.

Adam cringed, his eyes burning. "Damn it!"

Nathan groaned in his hands, wincing at the thought of what would happen when Dwayne got Azalea back.

"I've got her," Dwayne reappeared in the room.

"Thank you, Dwayne." Olivia's voice was cautious, and Nathan realized Azalea was still struggling. Dwayne set her on the bed, and then Nathan hurried to move out of Adam's way. Azalea rolled off the bed, fighting like a cornered cat, and Adam nearly tackled her. The cloth was on her face again, and Azalea's struggles weakened. Nathan helped put her back on the bed.

"Alec," Azalea pulled away from the cloth, "no more!"

"Alec?" Adam's curious eyes met Nathan's.

Dwayne stood next to Azalea, and flinched when she screamed, "Dwayne, no! Don't let them touch me!"

Nathan walked to her other side, and grabbed her hand. His voice was strained. "Hold on." Adam froze. "Stop a minute, Adam." He took the cloth off her face to let her get clean air for a moment.

Adam complained, and though Nathan saw logic in his words, he could feel his blood boiling. "I can't let up or she'll move again. Olivia needs to work."

Nathan took a deep breath, and kissed Azalea's cheek. "You fought like a cat, Azalea."

Azalea's red eyes blinked at him, and he winced at the pain he saw there. Nathan looked at the widening crowd in the room. Eugene looked mildly upset, and Michael looked shocked. _She fights like a _wild_ cat_. Nathan concluded when he began to see bruises on his friends' faces.

Eugene walked to the bed. "Azalea, let Olivia do this."

Azalea shifted away, and her eyes screamed fear. "Don't come any closer." Who was she seeing when she looked at Eugene? She was glaring at him.

The room was quiet. Dwayne looked at everyone in the room. When his eyes met Nathan, they seemed to encourage him. They were so far from the days they had hated each other.

Then Dwayne nodded and chaos filled the room.

Nathan flinched when Azalea's terrible scream filled the air when she saw Alex walk into the room.

Azalea pushed Alex away, her eyes so unfocused it scared him, and then she was staggering to the door. Her knees buckled, and then she nearly toppled over. Nathan's heart jumped. "Catch her!"

Adam grabbed her by the waist and threw her at the bed. She landed on it, and was very still. Nathan wandered back to her side, at unease with her stillness. Her eyes were open and red. She was as hot as Alex had said. Still, he held her hand.

"Dwayne," Azalea could hardly speak. "It hurts to remember."

Dwayne sat on the bed, and then pulled her to him. Nathan's hand moved to her back and rubbed it soothingly while Dwayne rocked her back and forth. "Alec's not here, Azalea. He's not." Dwayne was sobbing, and Nathan knew that whatever happened, it was bad. Hardly anything fazed Dwayne, and to see him crying. . .

Nathan almost didn't notice that the room had slowly emptied. Dwayne pressed the cloth to Azalea's face again, and then gently put her back on the bed. Nathan held her hand, stroking her fingers.

"Nathan's here for you." Dwayne said.

"N-Nathan?" Azalea blinked slowly. Nathan turned her head to him.

He couldn't believe the agony he saw in her greenish gray eyes. "I'm right here, Doll."

"Am I going to die again?" Azalea's words were slurring.

"Of course not." Nathan felt tears well in his eyes. So she was still afraid, too?

"How are you sure?" More tears pooled down her soft red face.

"Because if you die, we won't be able to make sweet love at night." Nathan kissed her nose. "So stick around for me." He had to keep her around, just to be near her. To hear her beautiful voice.

Azalea's eyes crinkled, and he knew she was smiling.

"Breathe in and out." Nathan stared at her eyes, wiping away the tears. She probably couldn't feel his touch. "In and Out." He took a deep breath and exhaled.

"Count with me," he felt the weight of the world on his shoulders. "Backwards from ten."

"Ten," Azalea stammered. Nathan joined her.

"Nine," He couldn't bear the screams. Azalea's screams- He held her hand tighter, his heart a burning lump in his throat.

"Eight."

"Seven," Nathan could hardly hear her now.

"Six." What would cause her to fight so hard? She didn't seem to recognize Eugene or Alex.

"Five." He bit his lip again, harder.

"Four." Olivia sighed, and he looked at her eyes to see tears. He struggled to keep from sobbing.

"Three."

"Two."

He looked at her eyes close when he said, "One." She was gone. Far away gone.

Nathan looked at Olivia and Dwayne. "Okay, she's out." Dwayne nodded, and then his shoulders slumped.

Adam exhaled a breath. "That was harder than I thought."

"I told you," Rapunzel was standing at the door, one hand on her stomach.

Olivia moved to Azalea's side, looking around. "Where's Dwayne?"

Dwayne must have ducked out the room. Nathan watched Olivia's careful movements. She cut the stitches with the knife, and then she began to pluck them out. Blood welled around the spots, and Nathan had to go to the washroom. He sat on the floor, dry heaving. He was glad Azalea wouldn't feel it. Olivia was pulling stitches out of _skin_.

When he walked back inside, Olivia was putting bandages over the place where the stitches had been. "I'm sorry, Nathan." Her voice was quiet, and it was then that Nathan realized that Adam and Rapunzel had left.

"It is fine, Liv." He sat down on the bed, looking at Azalea's still tear-stained face.

"No, it's not." Olivia joined him, and rubbed his shoulder. "We probably should have left you out of it."

Nathan shook his head. "I would have heard the screams and wouldn't have let you done it. I'm surprised Dwayne went after her, and came back. I would have taken her to town or something."

Olivia smiled for a moment, and he saw tears spilling on her cheeks. "Guy and I are getting married in a few days."

Nathan felt baffled. "Why are you crying? That's a good thing."

"I don't want to leave," Olivia sobbed. Nathan let her lean against his shoulder. "I do so much here. I can't leave with Rapunzel so close, and Anna-Beth too. And Jacob's still around, and-"

Nathan shushed her. "The kingdom will do fine, Olivia. We've got Fernidia and Adam. Michael and Eugene. We'll be okay." He could see her problem. Fernidia and Olivia had done so much for them, for the entire kingdom. With one of them gone, it was normal for the one going to feel like she was abandoning Corona.

"I'm worried about them." Olivia sniffled, glancing at Azalea to make sure she wasn't lying awkwardly. Olivia got up to shift Azalea's turned head straight, and then sat back down.

"Who?" Nathan had a good guess.

"Fernidia and Michael. Adam as well." Olivia frowned. "Michael's not himself, and he and Fernidia used to be so close. _I _started waiting for him to propose, even though Fernidia does the weddings. She's even matched couples." Olivia blushed, and Nathan smiled. "Adam is around her more and more, and since the two of them are brothers, I thought Michael would say something. But that's not really the problem though. Michael's changed, and I don't think it's good." Olivia's blue eyes were unusually serious.

Nathan blinked. Olivia was right. Michael stopped joining Guy and Eugene in training, and now he hardly saw him. "I don't know what could be troubling him." He frowned in worry.

Olivia nodded, and sighed. "I don't think we'll go anywhere."

"Why not?" Nathan immediately caught up. Why wouldn't they go anywhere for their honeymoon? Being married was a glorious thing, and-

"I mean, we wouldn't be long." Olivia amended, following his train of thought.

Nathan sighed. "Guy would say, 'Whatever makes her happy'." He paused. "Actually, a lot of men would say that."

Olivia smiled, and then she stood up. "Thanks, Nathan, for talking to me. I can't exactly tell Fernidia that I'm worried about her, you know?" Nathan nodded, smiling. "I'll see you later."

She closed the door behind her.

Nathan laid next to Azalea's warm body, and dreamed.

He walked in a wooden room, and the smell of hay reached his nose. He could hear Azalea's voice, and hurried forward. He glanced at the stalls around him, yelling. "Azalea?"

"Nathan Valor Keen?" Whose voice is that? Dwayne's? "You are _such_ a bastard." A glass bottle crashed against his head, and he hit the floor. Azalea screamed.

When he opened his eyes, Azalea was shackled to a wall. "Nathan!" Beautiful relief filled her eyes. Then they hardened in fear. "You have to help me! We've got to get out." The stables were on fire.

He staggered to his feet, dizzy and sick. The stalls were burning, and the crackle of the flames were deafening. Liquid dripped down his forehead, and he realized that the roof is shaking.

He hurried to Azalea's side on wobbly feet and then his vision darkened. When his eyed blink open, Azalea has his head in her lap.

Nathan looked at her tear-filled eyes, and she smiled. Why weren't they moving? The roof was about to fall on them!

He felt peaceful when Azalea gently stroked his bloody hair. "Nathan," she started to say, but then she froze, looking up.

Nathan looked up as well, and saw that the roof was about to crash on them.

Azalea bended down to kiss him, and her open eyes weren't afraid. Her lips were soft and warm, like always.

When their lips touch, the roof collapsed.

Nathan heard the washroom door open, and sat up. "Doll?"

Her pretty blond head popped out of the darkness of the room. She was wobbling back to him, and climbed heavily on the bed. He grabbed her and drew her into a hug. She was breathing hard. "I didn't want to wake you."

_I wish I hadn't fallen asleep_, Nathan thought. "Remember the sun flowers?" He asked. He had to know something.

"Yes, why?" Azalea was somehow already falling asleep. He wanted to shake her, to keep her awake, but she needed her sleep.

"They tell people when they're going to die right?"

"They tell the pure ones that, yes." Azalea snuggled in his arms, and he laid back down, pulling the covers over her.

She tried to say more, but the herbs made her words slurred like she was drunk again. Nathan kissed her nose, and bid her 'goodnight'.

He dreamed of fire, but it was a beautiful fire.

It burned greenish gray flames.


	79. Ava

Chapter Seventy Nine _Azalea's Point of View_

Olivia shook her awake. "Azalea, wake up. Are you hungry?"

Azalea blinked open her eyes, and woozily sat up. She fell back down, and groaned. "Liv, I. . ."

She opens her eyes, shocked when she sees the bright light coming in front the windows. _I am going to have to try to start waking up earlier._ People would start talking, and she can't have that.

But the dreams make her so tired, and then she is hardly eating anything-

"Come and eat, Doll." Nathan helped her off the bed. "Everyone's been waiting for you."

She blinked at him, and then at Olivia. She staggered to the washroom, and poured the water basin on her head.

"Feeling well, yet?" One of her friends ask her. "You've been sick for a while."

"It's just a stomach bug," Azalea looks at her friend. She is pretty, and not easily forgotten. "Rosemary, do you have to move?"

"I do." Rosemary sighs, and the cold breeze shakes her red velvet hair. "Father won't wait any longer. He's sick, and we can't find Stephanie's daughter. We have to move to the next kingdom over for him to get better." Rosemary's warm hazel eyes are sad.

Azalea rubs her friend's shoulder. "I could try to find her for you," she offers.

Rosemary shakes her head. "Azalea, Olivia will turn up when she needs to. Do you want anything from the vendors?"

"Pineapple." Azalea smiles, the longing making her churning stomach ache. She welcomes the cool breeze that the winter mornings gave; it chases away the random bouts of nausea that had started a month ago.

She combed out her hair, and scrubbed at her face with her bare hands. She missed Rosemary, and remembered that Rosemary had never come back.

Azalea opened the door, and then realized Olivia was gone. She looked at Nathan sitting on the bed with his head bowed, and was surprised to see circles under his eyes. "Nathan?"

He looked up, and tried to smile. "I'm glad you're awake."

"Barely," Azalea sat down next to him, wobbly in the knees. She grabbed his hand and kissed it. "I thought you were sleeping when I woke up last night."

"I was," Nathan looked down again, and his green eyes turned miserable. "Bad dream."

"What was it about?" She was too familiar with nightmares.

Rosemary hands her a cup of pineapple, and watches her wolf it down. "You never liked pineapple."

Azalea shrugs. "I only had it once."

"Yes, once." Rosemary leads the way to the square. "And you told me you hated it. You used to like blueberries."

"Rosemary, I eat what I eat." She butts her friend in the shoulder. Rosemary is too close-

"Nothing important." Nathan kissed her cheek, and though she felt mildly upset when he didn't tell her, she respected his privacy. "Time to eat?"

"Can I get another cup?" Azalea almost begs. Rosemary looks at her, and her hazel eyes are suddenly sharp.

"Is the stomach bug making you eat weird things now?" Rosemary sits down on the frost covered bench. She tugs at her long sleeves, and then looks at Azalea's long sleeved gray dress. "What happened to peach?"

"What?"

"You. . ." Rosemary shakes her head in puzzlement. "What is going on with you? You never wore gray, you wore peach. You loved _sleeveless_ dresses, and now you've got long sleeves on. You're never out in the mornings anymore, and when you are, you won't eat a thing." Rosemary hits her hand to her forehead. "Did something happen between you and Jacob or something? Did he hurt you?"

Azalea winces. "You're imagining things, Rose."

Rosemary glares at her. "I don't think so." She sighs. "You can tell me anything you know."

_If only you would understand_, Azalea bites back sobs. "I need to go."

"Still not a morning person?" Rosemary watches her stand up with narrowed hazel eyes.

Azalea shakes her head, and pulled her long sleeves down to her wrists. "Bye, Rosemary."

"I'll find out what's bothering you soon, Aza." Rosemary had picked up on the nickname as well, but didn't use the _l_. Azalea liked that version of her nickname better, but didn't correct Dwayne or Jacob when they called her by it.

Azalea walks to her mother's house, and lets herself in. She locks the door, and made herself a cup of raspberry tea. When it settles in her stomach, she goes to check the lock again.

Nathan held open the door to the Dining Hall, and she walked in. Rapunzel smiled at her. "Hi, Azalea!" She wrapped her in a hug, which was done awkwardly because of Rapunzel's round stomach.

"Hi, Rapunzel." Azalea smiled at her, then looked around. "Where's Alex?" Was he still here?

"He went to check the Stables," Dwayne was eating buttered toast and fed grapes to Anna-Beth. "Did you know that the guards are going to let all the horses out for a kingdom patrol?"

"A kingdom patrol?" Fernidia asked from her seat between Michael and Adam. Michael looked preoccupied, and as always, his eyes were cloudy.

"All the guards, knights, and every man owning a horse are going to patrol around the kingdom." Dwayne's eyes sparkled. "I think it would be like a parade!"

"All the horses will be out of the Stables, huh?" Nathan's eyes were as preoccupied as Michael's as he sat down. He handed Azalea a plate of pineapple, and she nibbled on it, still mentally in time.

Azalea wakes up to see Rosemary standing over her. "Rose, what are you doing _here_?" Panic surges through Azalea, and she struggles to get up, feeling clumsy.

_Rosemary had gotten through the door._ Azalea had locked the door, and checked it several times each night before going to bed. How had Rosemary had gotten through? She must have left the door unlocked, and such a mistake could lead to Alec and Matthew-

"I wanted to check on you." Rosemary looks at Azalea up and down. Azalea tries to tuck in her stomach. "It is mid-afternoon and you're not out yet."

"I sleep longer now that the nausea's finally gone-" Azalea quickly puts her hand over her mouth.

Rosemary's jaw drops. "What?"

"Nothing!" Azalea shoves her best friend to the door. "I'll meet you outside." Her stomach churns at the thought of what Rosemary was thinking.

Rosemary doesn't budge. "Azalea," she moans painfully. "You're sixteen! Whose is it?"

Azalea falls onto the bed in a crumpled heap. "I don't know! T-there were two men, and I-"

"You tried with _two_ men?" Rosemary yells. "I didn't know you were like that-"

"They forced me!" Azalea shrieks, sitting up. Rosemary freezes, and gaped.

For a short while, they both are frozen, each girl locked in their own mental turmoil.

"They forced you?" Rosemary echoes hollowly, and sits down on the bed again. "I-I. . ." Rosemary can't seem to find words. She puts her arm around Azalea's shoulder, and rocks her when she burst into tears.

"It was terrible, Rosemary!" She stands to her feet, and shows Rosemary what they had done to her.

"Oh my God," Rosemary's hands gently touched the moon on her back. "They cut you, too? Oh, Azalea, I'm sorry."

Azalea shivers. "I don't know what to do."

Rosemary puts her head in her hands. "I can't leave you like this. I can tell my father to wait. For a few months, and then when the baby is here, you can come with us. It's not Jacob's or Dwayne's, so you can't stay."

"My mother is here."

"But she's not _here_, Azalea." Rosemary's voice shakes as she tried to hold her composure.

Azalea choked on the pineapple, remembering the way Rosemary had looked at her, and spat it out in a napkin. Never again.

"Who were they?" Rosemary's chipped voice breaks the silence after their crying. Azalea can't tell her. But then she can't keep it a secret either.

"Alec Ruffins and Matthew. I didn't know Matthew; he was the man who tended to us when we went to a tavern." Azalea wipes at her eyes.

"The pineapple's sour?" Nathan rubbed his eyes, stifling a yawn. Azalea smiled at him, but shrugged. She got a plate of toast, and realized that she, Nathan, and Michael were now fighting clouds.

"Matthew?" Rosemary blinks hard. "I know him."

"Tell him I said he'll burn in hell." Azalea gets up to make more tea.

Rosemary laughs despite the tense atmosphere in the room. "I'll help you, you know that right?"

"Right." Azalea nearly smiles.

When break feast was over, she made Nathan sleep in bed, and laid awake, her mind tumbling.

Rosemary knocks on the door. "Azalea?"

She opens it, and looks at what Rosemary is holding. She is holding a basket full of fabric, and she sees tiny little shirts and dresses. "What is all that?"

"Baby clothes." Rosemary looks at her, and frowns. "Something wrong?"

Azalea shakes her head. "It might be a boy."

"I can see in your eyes you want it to be a girl." Rosemary lets herself in, and looks around. "See? You even have a pink rocking chair."

Azalea bites her lip. "I don't want the baby."

Rosemary rolls her eyes, and then sighs patiently. "Aza, I can understand how you feel. Alec and Matthew were bastards, and I can understand you wouldn't want anything that came with them." Her eyes are very serious. "But God gave you the baby as a gift."

"Why would he give me something that a monster made?"

"Maybe as a way for you to forgive them." Rosemary looks sad. She gives Azalea a hug. "I'll come by later, all right?"

"All right," Azalea whispers, frustrated at the tears that pour down her face. "Thanks, Rose."

"Eat plenty of fruit and drink lots of water." Rosemary edges to the door. "If you see Alec or Matthew, run to my house. I have a hatchet." Rosemary stops and a smile lights up her face. "A frying pan would be better, actually. But don't stress out, and drink lots of water and eat plenty of fruit."

"Rose-" Azalea struggles to keep her frown from turning upside down. She was fortunate to have Rosemary as a friend. Dwayne and Jacob were hardly around, though she had seen Dwayne a few days before. He said that Jacob was doing well, and had found a house outside of town by a waterfall. He told her he'd take her by it to see the view, and then secretly told her that Jacob was studying the stars. Azalea hadn't voiced her questions to him out loud.

"Bye!" Rosemary grins at her and closes the door.

Then Azalea remembered the terrible memory, and vowed to never think about it again. It hurt too much.

She wakes up to a burning in her stomach. Rosemary had moved in for a few weeks after that day when she discovered the rocking chair. She was sleeping right next to her, and her eyes blink open as if she knew Azalea had woken.

"Aza, what's the matter?" She sits up, and then looks at the bed. "What happened?"

Azalea can't comprehend the blood on the sheets. It is on her nightgown. "My stomach hurts." She tries to sit up, but her body doesn't move. "Rosemary, why does my stomach hurt?"

Rosemary springs off the bed. "Stay right there," she hurries to the kitchen and starts boiling water. She wets Azalea's face with a small towel. "Your stomach hurts, okay. Stay calm, everything's fine."

"Then why are _you_ panicking?" Azalea demands from lying down. The cramps are fierce. "You're moving like a bird with an injured wing trying to fly. What's happening?"

"Stay calm, stay calm." Rosemary pours her a cup of raspberry tea. "Do you want pineapple?"

Azalea shakes her head, and then they both freeze when someone knocks on the door. The tea spills on the blood-stained sheets.

"Azalea?" It is Dwayne.

Rosemary looks at Azalea. "I won't let them in," her mind follows Azalea's.

"Tell them I'm-" Azalea chokes back a pained scream. "Get them to leave."

Rosemary nods, her face torn, and opens the door a crack. "Hello, Dwayne, Jacob." Her voice is taut.

"Where's Azalea, Rose?" She heard Jacob ask.

"She's out by the square looking for," Rosemary looks back in the house, her anxious eyes going to Azalea's face. "She's looking for her mother. She got a letter saying she'd be back in town."

Dwayne's voice sounds annoyed. "Thanks, we'll find her."

Rosemary closes the door, and then runs to Azalea's side.

Azalea springs out of bed, when a strange need arose. "Wait, Rose," her voice doesn't sound like hers. She hurries to the washroom.

Rosemary knocks. "Azalea, are you all right?"

Azalea looks down on the floor, and screams. Rosemary barges through the door and looks at the bundle. It was a girl.

Rosemary staggers to her, and grabs Azalea when she staggers backwards. "Aza . . ."

She bends down to grab the baby, and Azalea watches, numb, as Rosemary wiped her off. She dresses the pretty baby in a little peach dress, and lies the limp bundle on the table.

Azalea follows her into the kitchen, and drops to her knees.

The baby doesn't look like her, nor Alec or Matthew. The baby looks exactly like her mother. Little black curls shine on her head, and the baby's eyes are closed. The skin tone is Azalea's, but the baby has her mother's face.

Rosemary doesn't stop her when she screams. Azalea moves around her mother's house in a blur. She rips at the bloody sheets and burns them in the fireplace.

Rosemary catches her in a hug, the house in shambles while fists attack the door. "What would you have named her?"

"Aza," Azalea looks at her friend's face with blurry vision, "But now I think her name would have been Ava."

Nathan stirred. "Doll?"

"Nathan," Azalea wrapped him in a tight hug, like Rosemary had hugged her. "I need to tell you something."

She told him everything.

Nathan's eyes were dull green pools when she was done, and when she began to cry at the memory, he rocked her back and forth when her composure was suddenly gone.

"I'll see you around, Aza." Rosemary wraps her in another hug. An echo surges through her, and Azalea hugs her back.

"Come back soon." Azalea knows Rosemary won't be coming back.

"I'll send you letters, when I have the time." One letter a year.

"I might visit you." How?

Rosemary wipes away tears. "How will you recognize me, Azalea?"

"The word is 'Ava', Rose." Azalea watches her board the carriage.

She waves back when Rosemary's head pokes out one of the windows. Her red velvet hair is blowing harshly in the warming breeze. Spring was almost in Corona.

Rosemary smiles, and her head disappears again. Her hand throws something white out, a crumbled up piece of paper, and Azalea runs to get it.

In Azalea's hand is the notice for Rosemary's family's house.

Rosemary had given her a new home. She would move in after her mother died. Dwayne would be there, too.


	80. Through Michael, the Evil One Appears

Chapter Eighty

I looked at Dwayne from across the table. "What's going on?" Hardly anyone was in the Dining Hall. Olivia and Guy were missing, and I hadn't seen Nathan or Michael this morning. "Is someone sick?"

Dwayne shook his head. "No, Nathan and Michael went in town. I guess Fernidia's helping Olivia with her wedding. Guy and Adam must be out and about." He bit into his lunch: chicken and rice with cranberry sauce. "Azalea's still passed out. Candace and David are at the square. Liam, Sarah, and Sage must be at home."

Eugene nudged my arm. "What are we going to do today?" Eugene had told me last night that he and Guy were going to lay off of training until he and Olivia came back from their honeymoon. They were still going to keep themselves in shape but they weren't going to have actual secessions.

"I don't know." I admitted, and looked up from my empty plate. "I was going to ask Fernidia on what to buy Liv, but she's probably busy."

Dwayne dipped a chicken wing into his sauce. "I could go find Azalea for you." I smiled at him, and he looked around the barren Dining Hall. "Liam and David are gone too. Anna-Beth's in the library; she might help."

Eugene and I walked to the library while Dwayne finished, and I held onto Eugene's hand tightly. "I have bad news," I told him somberly.

Eugene winced. "Do I want to know?"

"We have to pick middle names."

"Damn." Eugene smiled when I poked him, my hidden signal to tell him to watch his language. "How many middle names?"

"I'm sure Mother and Father expect five or six." I groaned at the thought. Six middle names _each_?

"This is going to be tough," Eugene held the library door open for me. I grabbed his hand again, and started looking around at the tables. I spotted Anna-Beth in a corner, and Eugene was right on my heels when I made it to her.

"Morning, Anna." She looked up from a book, her green eyes sleepy.

"Hey, Rapunzel. Hi, Eugene." She greeted us, and closed the book. "How are you?"

"We're good," Eugene sat down. "We need to pick six middle names for each little kid. And that's really twenty four names if they're both boys, both girls, and one for either or." Eugene put his chin on the table. "Why didn't they tell us this months ago?"

Anna laughed and looked at Eugene with dancing eyes. "Sorry, Eugene." She rubbed his head soothingly. "Any ideas?"

"Felix, Pascal. Maxine, Sunni." I told her. Then I mirrored Eugene. "Mother must have decided to keep this to herself to torture us."

"Twenty four names? Sheesh." Dwayne sat down next to Anna-Beth. "I've got a few, if you like them."

"Tell us." Eugene sat up.

"Sebastian, Henry, Lucas, and Thomas." Dwayne grinned.

Anna nudged him. "Those are all boy names, and some of those names would be impossible for middle names."

Dwayne pouted. "I was thinking of our children, Anna."

Eugene groaned. "Dwayne!"

I put my head in my hands. "I've got one." Anna looked up at me. "What about Ella and Evelyn?"

Eugene smiled. "They start with _e_, so I'm up for them." Anna and Dwayne rolled their eyes.

After a while, I gave up. "We'll name them when we see them!"

Dwayne smiled. "Why didn't you say that an hour ago?" He looked around the bright library. It was past afternoon now.

Anna pointed out, "We started an hour ago."

Dwayne nodded. "See all the time that's been wasted?"

Fernidia walked in the room, and I saw that her eyes were bloodshot. Anna noticed it as well, and straightened up. "Hi, Ferns."

"Hi, guys." Fernidia stopped in front of us, and I saw that she was shaking. "Ready for dinner?"

"We've been here all day?" Eugene rubbed his eyes, and groaned. "I could have been arm wrestling with Guy!"

"You and Guy have been arm wrestling?" Anna yelled. "Does no one remember his broken right arm?"

"I wrestled his left arm, calm down." Eugene nudged her, rolling his eyes playfully.

Dwayne stood up and helped me from my seat. Eugene gently pulled Anna-Beth to her feet, and then we were all following Fernidia, who seemed quiet.

"What's wrong?" I asked her before we both walked in the Dining Hall.

Fernidia didn't meet my eyes. "Bad things have happened, that's all."

I froze when I held the door open. She walked in, and I was still standing there.

"Come on, Rapunzel!" Guy called to me. He was sitting next to a groggy Azalea.

What did that mean? 'Bad things have happened, that's all'?

"Where's Adam?" Olivia looked around the table. My father shrugged from where he was, and my mother gave him his plate. He stood up to kiss her on the cheek, and then Guy called to me again.

Fernidia's Point Of View

"What the hell am I going to do then, Adam?" Michael was furious, pacing his already destroyed house. Adam had moved into the palace now, and he and Fernidia were both staring at Michael with horrified eyes.

"I don't know, Michael. But I can't think of anything better than staying here. I could get some rope and tie you to the table. Block the windows and doors." Adam knew what Fernidia knew now, and Fernidia didn't know whether it was helpful or not.

"I'm going to kill Eugene if I'm near him when he and Guy start training!" Michael yelled, stopping a moment to kick the wooden leg of a chair.

"We can figure this out," Fernidia tried.

"I don't have time, Fernidia!" Michael swooped down to grab the leg and threw it in the opposite direction. "I can't even eat by him now!"

"Michael, calm down-" Adam started.

"_Don't tell me to calm down_!" Michael went into a rage. His eyes were so clouded, it almost seemed like the clouds were blocking out the pretty brown. Now his eyes seemed black. "Eugene will _die_ if I get near him!" He started throwing things around, cutting his healed hands on the glass when they frenziedly reached for things.

"Michael!" Adam yelled. He grabbed Michael into a headlock, and shook him roughly. "You're going to go mad if you keep acting like this."

"I'm going to go mad?" Michael exploded. He yanked away from his older brother and his eyes were as frenzied as his hands. They seemed dark and bottomless. "_I'm going to go _mad?" Michael laughed. "Adam, you're looking at a mad man right now. Jacob's in my head, _and he won't get out_!"

Michael kept laughing, his chest heaving. He fell to his knees, and the laughter slowly took on howls. "I'm going to kill Eugene, don't you see?" His wild eyes stared right through them. "He's going to die, and it'll be my fault! You don't get it; he's going to die terribly! Oh God, _I can see so many ways_."

"I could shove a pitchfork right through his chest, or cut his throat with a knife! A spear through his stomach, or I could kill Rapunzel and then kill him!" Michael tugged at his hair. "I wouldn't be able to stop myself. Guy and Nathan and Dwayne are going to die trying to save him."

His next words made her want to never see him again. But she couldn't leave him to fight his demons by himself; she looked in Adam's eyes and saw that he couldn't either.

Michael was gone, or very deep inside himself. Jacob was talking to them through Michael, and it was never clearer than that moment when Michael opened his mouth.

"You're going to die too. Both of you, and I'll laugh so hard. I won't even pay a mind to it! I'm glad that Michael got to know you guys."

A cruel smile darkened Michael's face.


	81. A Piece of Moonstone and Letters

Chapter Eighty One _Azalea's Point of View_

She looked up at Nathan, puzzled to see him watching her closely. "Something wrong?" She rolled over to him. He was still fully dressed, though it was past midnight. She had gone to their room after eating with Rapunzel, and she had stayed up waiting for him to come back. The Kingdom was usually safe, but now with Jacob still on the prowl, it wasn't as safe anymore.

Nathan seemed wide awake. "Nothing's wrong." His green eyes were piercing, and she recalled how bottomless they seemed the last time they talked.

"You're going to leave me, aren't you?" Azalea was shocked when the words came out her mouth. Nathan's eyes tightened.

"Of course not." Nathan gasped. He stared at her, and Azalea looked away. "Why would I leave you?"

"I-I don't know." Azalea got off the bed. Nathan sat up, and his black hair was ruffled from lying down. "Sorry. . .Nathan."

Nathan looked at her when she put her hand on the doorknob. "Where are you going?"

Did she have to explain? "Just for a bit of air. I-I'll be back." She closed the door behind her, cutting off Nathan's protest. She waited at the end of the hall, expecting him to come flying through the door. When nothing happened, she walked to the square.

The kingdom was a glow with lights as the quarter moon rose into the sky. Azalea suddenly didn't know what to do. She wandered the dark streets, expecting herself to feel scared when she ducked through the alleys, but she felt empty. Numb.

When she paused by the water fountain, the splashing drops glowing like crystals in moonlight, she stopped to splash the droplets. Coins glittered at the bottom of it, and she moved away when a couple hurried past her.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" A voice made her look up. Sarah's ash blond hair shone ashy gray in the light. Sarah moved from where she was until she was standing right next to Azalea.

"Y-Yes." Azalea couldn't understand the lump in her throat. "The water is very pretty."

Sarah smiled weakly, and the look in her eyes made Azalea feel lonely. She was surrounded by couples, and though she and Nathan were close, she was muddled by her memories of kissing Jacob. Even now, she felt her heart jump at his name in her mind, but she couldn't tell whether from fear or nostalgia. Jacob had tried to kill her, but she had once kissed him.

"Something's wrong. You're crying." Sarah looked at glittering water when Azalea wiped away the tears. "What happened? Something with Nathan or. . ."

Azalea shook her head, dazed. "I almost wish I died."

Sarah's head whipped to her, shock on her face. "What do you mean?"

Numb in every place but her heart, Azalea told Sarah what the past three years had been like. Kissing Jacob, Alec and Matthew's torture, Rosemary's departure and empty promises. Her Mother's disappearances and neglect, her reaction to her Mother's death, falling in love with Dwayne. Helping Dwayne and Jacob kidnap Rapunzel, the guilt she felt afterwards, rescuing Rapunzel. Getting arrested, the check-in, her new duties. Diego's punishment for David and interfering, seeing her Mother leave her in the dark.

Sarah stared at the sky then, and Azalea saw that her eyes were red. "Heard of _The Story of the Moon_, Azalea?"

Azalea nodded. "Why?"

"You're like the moon. You get the worst of it: being frozen and calling for the sun to talk to you. The sun might as well have been your mother, dear." Sarah blinked back tears. "I'm sorry."

"You're not the first one to apologize." Azalea sighed. She thought back to her house. "I need to get something, I'll be back." A piece of the moon-

"Mind if I tag along?" Sarah asked, looking over her shoulder. "I ditched Liam and Sage to see the water fountain again. Liam proposed to me here." A tiny smile lit Sarah's face, bringing out the pale blue in her blue-gray eyes.

Azalea shook her head, and led the way to her house. She saw the door slightly ajar and exchanged a glance with Sarah. She turned the knob, and lit several candles. _Thank you, Rosemary._ Azalea thought to her friend. This had been where Rosemary and her family had lived. Most of the bedrooms were still unused.

"Big home," Sarah commented when she sat down at one of the kitchen chairs.

"My best friend gave it to me when she moved." Azalea flitted to the living room. She looked under her bed, and found it.

"What is that?" Sarah blinked, and stared at the necklace she was holding. "Is that moonstone?"

"The chain is silver and the charm is moonstone." Azalea wanted to put it on. "My mother bought it for me to distract me from missing Rosemary."

"Rosemary Fennel?" Sarah guessed.

Azalea nodded, and put the necklace on. The moonstone felt warm, as it always had, when it touched the bare skin of her neck. She felt comfortable back in her home, and safe. She could almost forget Jacob was around.

"Are you going back?"

"I don't know." Azalea admitted. She sat down on her bed, then remembered the last time she had been in her house. She stood back up, repulsed. Jacob was everywhere. "Might not."

"Sarah?" A knock on the door made them jump.

Sarah faked a grimace. "It's Liam." She got up to answer. "Hi, Sage!" She scooped up her little boy, a gleaming smile on her face. She kissed his nose, laughing when Sage started squealing.

Liam smiled at her and Azalea. "Hi, Azal. Sage, come meet Azalea."

Sage struggled out of his mother's arms. "Azalea!" he said the _l_ like it was a _w_. He stopped in front of her, looking her up and down. "You're pretty. I hope . . . Father, what's his name?"

"Who, Sage?" Liam kissed Sarah on the cheek.

"The man with green eyes? Dwayne called him Nathan." The _t_ was replaced with a _w_.

"Nathan?"

Sage jumped on the bed and wrapped Azalea in a hug. "I hope Nathan marries you or I will! You're really pretty!" They both blushed.

Azalea struggled to speak, giggling. Sage was adorable. "I don't know, Sage."

Liam, Sarah, and Sage said 'goodbye'. Azalea laid back on her bed, not sure what to do with herself. She got up and locked the house, before walking to the stables.

She cracked the door open and the scent of horse and hay greeted her. She looked around, looking for a familiar gray coat.

Azalea found the stall, and opened it. She gasped and squealed. "Aw!" Next to the gray mare was a little gray foal with a white patches curled up in the hay. She stroked both of their noses, feeling a little better.

The gray mare neighed softly and nudged her hand. Azalea smiled, and rubbed the foal's nose. When she left, she sat down at her house again. Why was she so restless?

She looked around the empty rooms, and started to walk through them for the first time. She found all the letters from Rosemary in a cabinet.

She sat down on the floor to read them all over again, and fell asleep.

_" 'Dear Aza,_

_ It's so beautiful here, but the men are rowdy. One tried to lure me to his house when I was too fevered to think straight. It was a very hot day, one of the hottest in my life. He even had the indecency to grab at my skirt!_

_ I wish the King would try and get a hold on his men, but some are too hungry to do nothing more than steal. We've had two break-ins from our windows when we all were out. Father hasn't gotten any better yet, and Mother and I have tried our hardest for him not to find out._

_ Is everything okay with you? I miss Ava like I knew her, but she was only a baby. Does your Mother know about her?_

_ I know I haven't been sending as much, and I'm sorry. It's getting harder for me to keep my job as a maid for the King, and so many young girls are going hungry all around me, so I might quit for one of them to support their families. I wish the King would hurry up._

_ Apparently, his son Richard is missing, but that's okay. King Frederick says he's the heir, and I hope Richard shows up again._

_ Riots are common all the time now. Just before I sat down to write, two little girls lost their parents right in front of them! I grabbed one, and my sister Carol reached to grab the other, but she was gone. I wish I could say she crawled away, but she looked a few months old. I hope the little girl is safe. From what I glimpsed of her, she and her sister have red-orange hair. I know it's impossible, but if you see her, can you come and bring her back? We found their aunt, and she's dying to find her._

_ Her aunt is named Maya Larks, and their names are Rosalie and Terra. I think you might have Rosalie, Maya said she has a beauty mark near her chin._

_ I'll write when I can!_

_ -Rosemary Fennel, your Best' "_


	82. To Happy Lives

Chapter Eighty Two _Azalea's Point of View_

She laid back on the bed, gently stroking her temples.

"Headache?" Olivia popped in the room. She was wearing a yellow dress with pale bodice laces. Her skirt stopped at her knees because of the heat that spring brought on the kingdom.

"Not really." Azalea sat up. "Something the matter?"

Fernidia and Sarah strolled in the room. They were both holding huge bouquets of lilies and roses. "It's time."

"For what?" Azalea stared in puzzled amazement when they started waving their bouquets up and down. Olivia dodged Sarah and her older sister to pull Azalea off the bed.

"My bachelorette night."

Azalea winced as her headache grew worse. "I beg your pardon?"

"We're coming too!" Candace, Rapunzel, and Anna-Beth hurled themselves in the room. "We won't drink of course but-"

Anna looked outraged. "We won't drink?"

"No." Candace said sharply. "It'll hurt the babies, Anna."

Anna pouted. "Aw." Her green eyes dimmed noticeably.

Rapunzel gave them both a mocking glare. "What I was trying to say was that we won't drink, but everyone else should. We'll be in the same tavern, getting drunk as flooded flowers when it rains."

"Flowers get drunk?" Fernidia arched her eyebrows.

"When it rains, they get hangovers, that's why they seem to wilt."

"I never knew that." Olivia blinked. "Wait, but you won't be drinking."

"There is a thing called 'pretending'." Rapunzel grinned evilly. Azalea took an involuntary step back.

"When is your wedding?" Rapunzel almost seamlessly changed the subject.

Olivia paused in thought. "A few weeks from now."

Candace exclaimed. "So why are we having it now? You should get drunk the night or so before the wedding, not weeks before."

Olivia scowled. "We still want to be here when the babies get here." She looked at Anna and Rapunzel. "And we have the perfect place!" Her eyes lit up. Azalea started making up the bed while listening to the conversation.

"Where?" Fernidia sounded excited. Olivia mustn't have told her.

"It's in one of the developing kingdoms nearby. The king ruling is king Frederick, and I heard from Maya that their honeymoon cottages are amazing." Olivia seemed as excited as Fernidia. "Did you know that King Philip and King Frederick are signing a treaty to ally us to them?"

Rapunzel blinked. "I think Father mentioned something about it. How long will you be staying?"

"Not long. Maybe a few days at the most." Olivia looked at the six of them sitting on the now made up bed. "Ready to plan our outfits? I found some lacy things," a seductive glint entered her eye.

"Um," Anna muttered. "Will they fit us?"

"Don't worry about it." Fernidia assured Rapunzel and Anna, who gave each other worrying looks. "I got a peek at them."

They all left Azalea to wash up. Nathan was in town with Dwayne. Azalea pulled on a long sleeved dress, wishing that she was more comfortable with wearing no sleeves.

She pulled on a peach dress, smiling because she realized how much she missed the color. She walked to the dressing room, and a lacy brassiere hit her in the face. She grabbed the pink brazier and held it up with two fingers. "Whose is this?"

"No one's!" Anna was standing in the middle of the room, putting on a long peach dress with a low neckline. "I'm claiming this."

Rapunzel was wearing a deep green dress that was similar to Anna-Beth's. "Are we even getting drunk at all?"

"To be honest, I plan not to." Anna smiled. "I was complaining in case someone was listening."

Candace smirked. "Good job, Anna."

"I try."

Fernidia donned a lacy nightgown under her dress that was modest for Fernidia. Fernidia  
>was the most comfortable when it came to revealing skin. Azalea blanched when Fernidia handed her a white silk nightgown that barely reached her mid thighs. "Are you drunk, Ferns?"<p>

Fernidia was smiling. "When's the last time you had fun?"

The question stopped Azalea cold. She changed into the gown, and came out, struggling to comprehend what she thought of the gown. It squeezed her waist and chest. "What do you guys think?"

Olivia squealed when she saw her. "You are going to need a red dress over that."

"Ooh, we should give her a tour in fashion." Candace announced. Anna squeaked and grabbed Azalea's hand. Rapunzel was smiling.

"I'll do her hair." Rapunzel quickly claimed the roll.

"I call her makeup. There's a new eye powder out." Fernidia said, looking around her friends as they crowded around Azalea.

"I'm dressing her then!" Olivia hurried to the pile of dresses and the drawers. She began pulling out gowns and dresses of all colors, most of them were shades of reds and deep pinks.

Candace and Anna decided on perfumes. Azalea took the tiny silence to protest while her friends got their props together. "I'm not a doll, let me do it myself!" Why would they bother dressing her? It was early afternoon, and they had just started getting ready!

"On the contrary," Anna sniffed tiny bottles, "Nathan calls you 'Doll', so you must be."

Rapunzel looked Azalea up and down, holding a brush. "You're going to look perfect."

"Of course she will. She's got the best friends who know all about fashion. Olivia, do you know how to make perfume?" Fernidia asked her younger sister, who was sifting through her pile of clothes.

Olivia picked up a burgundy sash and moved to place it on Azalea's arm. "I know a little bit."

Fernidia bent down to whisper in Olivia's ear and then Olivia was nodding. Olivia went back to the clothes and asked Azalea, "What's your favorite color?"

"Gray."

"We'll go with red then."

Azalea blinked when Rapunzel began to wet her hair with a cloth. Candace abandoned the perfumes to leave the room. When she walked back in, Rapunzel was combing out Azalea's soapy hair.

"What am I wearing?" Azalea was afraid to ask. If the nightgown was squeezing the life out of her and barely reached to her mid thighs, what was the dress like?

Olivia held up a gown but Fernidia put her hands in front of Azalea's eyes so she couldn't see.

"Like it?" Olivia asked.

Azalea muttered. "Sure, it's great."

Fernidia moved her hands again, and the gown was gone.

"Why am I in suspense?"

"We don't want you to know what you look like _yet_." Rapunzel was smiling, Azalea could hear it in her voice.

The room was then filled with a silence. The sunlight from the windows bathed Azalea's skin, and she began to feel sleepy. Rapunzel finished washing her hair, and let it air dry.

Anna told Azalea to wash up, and when Azal came back, the five of them were giggling and fully dressed. "What is it?"

"You're going to look like a goddess by the time we're done with you. Keep your eyes closed the whole time, okay?" Candace smiled when Azalea sat back down. Anna and Candace began to spray Azalea with two different bottles, and then Fernidia began doing Azalea's makeup. The powder on her eyes made her skin itch, but Azalea kept her hands to her side. Azalea sighed, and kept her eyes closed.

Fernidia's fingers gently smeared the familiar mixture on her lips from the Ball, and Rapunzel's fingers began to tangle themselves in her hair on their own mission. Sarah came into the room, and handed them their jewelry. She seemed red and was panting. Azalea couldn't see what gown Sarah was wearing.

"All right. Fernidia, help me." Olivia and her older sister helped Azal into her gown. There were dreamy sighs when they were done, and then Azalea was allowed to open her eyes.

Rapunzel and Olivia were smiling. "I wish I could wear that." Candace mused. Anna and Rapunzel nodded. Olivia and Fernidia exchanged fond glances and Olivia adjusted the sash on Azalea's waist. Sarah smiled brightly and clapped.

She looked at herself in the mirror, and looked at her friends. She tried to keep the tears at bay, but failed.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome!" They all cried out and caught her in a group hug.

**Nathan's Point of View**

Nathan looked at the golden circles. "Damn, Alex. Who pays you?"

"Rapunzel's father." Alex smiled, and turned one over. "I get the diamonds from my brother."

"Ah, Alec Ruffins." Dwayne was staring at an Alex look-alike by the corner of the jewelry store. "You're not twins, are you?"

"Hell, no. I'm glad, too." Alex's eyes crinkled. "I'm a mere twenty years older than him. My father said Alec is a younger me. Don't see how, but that's how the ol' man thought things."

Dwayne fingered a gold circle with a flower design of diamonds. The diamonds were light pink and the diamonds that made up the leaves were abnormally deep green. "What kind of flower is this supposed to be?"

"A hibiscus." Alex watched Nathan as he moved from golden circle to golden circle. "When will it go pop, Nat?"

"Not sure. Maybe on her birthday." Nathan remembered from their long talks when they both couldn't sleep in the prison that the matter of birthdays had come up. "There will be cake, David promised me he'd let me help ice it."

Dwayne smiled and patted Nathan's back. "Happy Early Engagement, Nathan."

"Thanks, Dwayne." Nathan eyed a certain gold circle, and told Alex to keep it for him. Dwayne said the same for the hibiscus ring, and then they went to make sure that the tavern was going to be reserved for them. The king, being Olivia's uncle, had made the reservation a week ago. Nathan admired the king's thoroughness.

"I'm taking off tonight to tend to you guys." Alex bid them 'goodbye'. "See you then?"

"In a few hours." Dwayne said. He waved, and Nathan opened the door for him.

When they walked back to the palace, Dwayne said something that made Nathan freeze. "It's bachelor night."

Nathan looked at Dwayne. "Are we getting drunk?"

Guy, wearing a beige tuxedo, opened the door for them in the dressing room. "There's a thing called 'pretending'." Eugene was already in his dark as night tux, and handed Dwayne and Nathan a new suit. It was unfamiliar, and had a red poppy rose in the pocket. Dwayne's tuxedo had a pink hibiscus on it. Guy's tuxedo had a heather flower in the pocket, while Eugene's had a lavender lily.

Adam rushed into the room, with Liam and David in tow. "Damn, sorry guys. I finally found them."

"Where the hell were you two?" Dwayne asked David and Liam, his tone playful.

"I have a wife." Liam and David said at the same time.

David spoke along, "I wanted to stop by the house first to make sure everything was intact."

"Don't say anymore." Guy pretended to cover his ears.

Liam pulled on his gray tuxedo, and put a fresh lilac in the pocket. David tucked a red tulip in his, and then they all admired themselves.

"So no drinking?" Liam asked as if he couldn't imagine life without a cup of whiskey. "At all?"

"I'm going to pretend to be drunk." Eugene was smiling. He flashed his 'smolder' in the mirror and Nathan collapsed on the floor.

Guy gave a startled yell and they all stood over him. "Nathan?"

Nathan gave a weak groan. "Eugene, you bastard!"

"What did I do?" Eugene demanded, his eyes wide.

"You bedazzled me!" Nathan stood up and pulled his shirt down a little bit. He smiled at them, and they all relaxed. Liam looked a little nervous.

"Eugene, maybe you shouldn't do that 'smolder' thing when Nathan's around." Nathan pushed Liam away, laughing in amusement.

Guy began to ruffle his hair and Liam gelled his back. Eugene combed his out the way it usually wash, and Nathan washed his hair before combing it out as well. David and Dwayne left their hair how it was.

Nathan looked at his friends and put his hand on the door knob. "To the bachelors."

"I'm not a bachelor anymore." Eugene protested.

David cut in with Nathan's approval. "To the happily married, singled, and engaged."

"Amen!" Dwayne started clapping. "Except there isn't a single man here."

"Damn it, Dwayne!" Liam put his head in his hands. "To happy lives, all right? I mean, hell!"

Dwayne smiled. "To happy lives!"

Guy rolled his eyes and they all filed out the room. It was already sunset, and they all walked to the Dining Hall. None of the girls were around, and Nathan realized how lonely the night would be.

"So no drinking?" Liam said when he sat down, a bowl of white rice and gravy in one hand.

"Drink as much as you want. But I'm not carrying anyone home." Guy said pointedly. He looked at the five of them. "Where's Michael?"

Nathan shrugged. Adam looked down for a moment. "I think he's busy tonight."

Guy caught Adam's gaze, and then nodded silently. "All right." He didn't sound angry, just perplexed. "Let's eat and then go to the tavern, all good?" Everyone nodded.

The king popped his head in the Dining Hall. "Have a good time, young men." Wistfulness filled his eyes. The king's gaze went sharp and gentle at the same time when he looked at Guy. "Guy, don't mess around, all right?"

Guy turned red for some reason. "Yes, sir."

The king chuckled and bid them a safe night.

Nathan stood up, and led the way to the tavern. Once inside, he looked around the dusky room. Some villagers were in the room. Nathan spotted Alex and Alec in the tavern, and caught Alex's gaze. Dwayne stiffened when he saw Alec, but otherwise said nothing. Though the tavern had been reserved, the reservation only meant free drinks. Nathan smiled. He wasn't planning to get drunk, but he needed a drink to relax him.

Dwayne looked at the door after they had all sat down at the bar. "Are they here?" he asked.

"Not sure yet, Dwayne." Liam said next to him.

Guy ordered them a small cup of whiskey to warm them up, and they settled into to wait.

Anna's voice cut through the moderate silence. "Olivia, we're not late are we?"

"We're early no matter what." Fernidia reassured her. Olivia opened the door, and the entire world froze. There were thundering claps and whistles around them, but Nathan was almost deaf to them.

Rapunzel was wearing a long deep gown that had a low neckline. The gown had patches of leaf green on the bodice and a darker green shade colored the long cotton sleeves. Her lips were the color of a pink daisy, on her eyes was a smoky pale pink powder that Nathan had never seen before, and her hair was braided down her back. When the princess looked at Olivia, Nathan saw clovers and pink roses in her hair. The neckline of the dress was modest, but the dress stopped on her knees. Her shoes were light green and the sandals scuffed the wood floor. Eugene welcomed her with a kiss on the lips and a rub on the stomach.

Dwayne's eyes went wide when they saw Anna-Beth. Nathan remembered the same look Anna had when she had first seen the burn on Nathan's left shoulder. But Dwayne's eyes were wide with pleasant surprise, not horror, like Anna's had been. Anna-Beth was wearing a peach colored dress, identical to Rapunzel's. The bodice was pearly white and white ivy tendrils on the rim of the dress reached up to touch Anna's waist. The dress reached below Anna's knees, but the neckline was lower. Her lips were deep peach, and she had silver eye powder on. Her hands were covered in white gloves, and the sleeves were long than Rapunzel's, reaching to the bottom of her elbows. Dwayne caught her in a hug and whispered something in Nathan's younger sister's ear that made her giggle. Anna-Beth's loose and curly dark brown hair bounced from side to side as she laughed.

Adam took a deep gulp of his whiskey when Fernidia came into view. She was wearing a light blue gown that reached down her ankles but had a slit, on both sides of her legs, going up to her waist, revealing her thighs. The neckline was lower than Anna's, and Fernidia's straight brown hair covered the back of the gown that was out. Fernidia's lips were deep crimson, and her eyes were lightly decorated with silvery blue eye powder. Adam seemed frozen, and managed to hug Fernidia when she wrapped her long arms around him. Her bare arms were covered by a white shawl.

Candace's gown was a dark purple, almost a shade from being black, and was sleeveless. The gown hung on her curves, despite her large stomach, and made her light brown hair seem darker. Her dark brown eyes seemed brighter, and she had a very light bronze tint to the eye powder. Her dress stopped just over her ankles, and she was shivering in a golden brown shawl. David caught her in a hug, and the shivers stopped. She kissed his nose. "Hi, Dave."

"Hi, yourself." David smiled. "You guys look very edible. Where's Azalea and Olivia?" David stroked Candace's loose wavy hair.

"Right here." Olivia's voice rang out.

Guy turned to the door after drinking another cup of whiskey and nearly spit it out.

Olivia's dress was golden yellow, and her bright blue eyes seemed brighter than ever. The dress clung to her chest and lower back. Her eyes didn't have any eye powder on them, but her lips were baby pink. Her hair was braided, and then loose. It was very curly, and her legs seemed long as ever. Guy got up to greet her with a hug, but leaned in for a kiss. Her dress rustled and Nathan thought he saw little white crystals in the dress when sparkles dance around the room.

"Are those gems?" Guy asked in a hushed tone, his green eyes sparking.

"You like?"

"You look like a diamond." Adam said from Fernidia's side. Fernidia was holding a cup of whiskey, and Adam sipped his.

"Azalea, come on!" The girls turned to the door impatiently. Candace was sitting on David's lap at the bar, and Rapunzel was sitting next to Eugene rubbing his tuxedo.

"Is everyone else in there?" Nathan heard Azalea's voice, high pitched with nervousness. "Sarah, you first."

Sarah sighed, and then Azalea squealed. "Let go of my arm!"

Sarah walked in the room without Azalea and Liam choked on his whiskey. Dwayne hit him on the back a few good times. "Breathe, man. She's yours, calm down."

Sarah's dress was deep gray and her eyes were highlighted with dark gray eye powder. Her hair was braided and a lilac halo was perched on her golden head. Her lips were painted deep pink, and her blue-gray eyes seemed heated. The dress stopped right above her knees and it had long sleeves with large slits in them. The dress was tight on her, and Nathan saw Liam swallowing. "Hey, my gorgeous Sack of Love, how are you?"

"I'm fine. And you?" She rubbed his cheek, and Liam started chuckling.

"Perfect now."

Azalea peeked in the room, and Nathan wanted to run to her. "Everyone in now?"

"Yes, come in." Rapunzel couldn't the excitement out of her voice. Nathan looked at his friends and saw that everyone was staring at him.

"What?" He asked, his own voice going hoarse.

"Nothing!" They all snapped their heads away. When he looked back at the door, he could feel everyone's gazes on him. He shifted, uncomfortable in his seat. The tavern was plunged into dusk as the sun went down and Alec and Alex began lighting candles.

Azalea stepped into the Tavern, and Nathan went still, his eyes looking her up and down in a way he hoped was polite. She was-

_Beautiful_.

Azalea's dress was deep red and the neckline was too low for comfort. The dress had short sleeves, though laces continued down to her wrists. The bodice laces were a shade deeper than the dress. Azalea's eyelids were delicately covered with a light pink powder. Her lips were bright crimson, and her fingers played together nervously as she registered the very quiet silence in the room. The dress stopped at her mid thighs, and Nathan thought he saw something lacy underneath. Her legs looked longer and her lips seemed bigger. The dress held fast to her waist and made her seem all curves. Her hair seemed longer as well, and reached above her mid back in long gold tendrils that were curled at the ends. Her shoes were covered by red sandals with a tiny heel on them, and an undeniably sweet smell hit him in the face when she took a small step closer to them. The claps in the room were deafening, but all Nathan could hear was his heart beating.

The room went quiet as they waited for Nathan's reaction.

"Nathan?" Eugene asked, peering at him. Nathan tried to suck in a breath.

He shakily got off of his stool. "I'm in love with the girl in red. Just a warning: Hands off." The room burst into laughter as Nathan wrapped Azalea in a hug. She exhaled a nervous breath for the both of them. The night suddenly seemed long and comfortable. He kissed her lips. "You and the color red have been courting and you never told me? You look so good together, damn."

Azalea smiled, and the effect it had on him was staggering. "Thanks, Nat."

Guy grinned as he handed them whiskey cups. "To happy lives!"

Everyone in the room toasted. "Amen!"

_Azalea's Point of View_

"Where's Sage?" She asked Sarah when she sat down. Many of the men in the tavern, despite Nathan's warning, tried to pull up a chair for her. Sarah was laughing at Liam's jokes and pretended to make faces with Fernidia. So far, Fernidia was winning.

"He's with Maya. Did you know that she's in her thirties? She insisted that she was too old to go to a little gathering like this." Sarah smiled fondly as she thought of her son's caretaker. "She said she'll keep him tonight for us."

"For what?" Azalea didn't need to ask.

Sarah rubbed Liam's shoulder suggestively and Azalea blushed. "Sorry."

"Hey, Azal!" Rapunzel called to her. "You drink a lot, right?"

"Who told you that?" Azalea frowned. It wasn't exactly true, but it wasn't false either.

"Dwayne says you've been drunk more than once." Rapunzel was standing in between two small tables that were loaded with shots of whiskey. "Since I can't beat Guy at this, you try it."

Eugene was smiling. Guy sat down, his navy blue shirt under his tux ruffled. Eugene put the jacket on the back of his chair. "Come on, Azalea. I think I had too much to drink."

Fernidia looked at Eugene, smiling wryly. "How? You seem steady."

"He's good at disguising drunkenness." Adam guessed. His hand never left Fernidia's waist.

"Come on," Olivia and Sarah nudged Azalea to the tables. Candace and Anna were already there, clapping. The entire bar crowded around them. Nathan got behind her when she sat down and rubbed her shoulders.

"What will happen if Guy wins?" Azalea couldn't stop the question. She was trying not to bounce from excitement. Guy and Olivia murmured into each other's ears. Within moments, they came to an agreement. Guy spoke for the two of them.

"If I win, you have to plan a wedding."

Fernidia giggled. "I'd help anyways."

"And if she wins?" Nathan asked. The bartenders and audience started clapping again.

"If I win, I get to. . ." Azalea had nothing. She looked up at Nathan. "I'll need help with that."

"If you win, you can have the tower whenever you want." Rapunzel said. Nathan and Azalea looked at the princess in shock. "I was going to do it anyways, but now since we have something to lose. . ."

Azalea shrugged. "The tower it is, then."

Eugene and Adam muttered things in each other's ears and then Eugene said, "You're on."

"What did you two bet?" Olivia asked.

Eugene bent down to whisper in Olivia's ear. "If I can pickpocket everyone in this room."

Rapunzel rolled her eyes at the exchange hopelessly, and then yelled. "Three, two, one!"

Azalea picked up a shot and gulped it down. The liquid felt warm as it went down her throat, and she was grinning when she reached the third one. Guy was on his fifth one, and Azalea picked up the pace.

"Shot, shot, shot!" The crowd cheered. "Drink, drink, drink!"

"Come on, Azalea!" Fernidia and Candace cheered.

Guy cheered on her too, and she knew he was holding back. Still, when she reached the twelfth and he was on his sixth, he started speeding up.

"How many shots are there?" Azalea gasped between gulps of whiskey. She was feeling sick now.

"You have ten more!" Nathan rubbed her shaking shoulders. The next shot burned her mouth and she stopped to cough before she downed the next one.

"Who the hell poured thirty six shots?" Azalea swallowed down two more.

"I did." The close voice stopped her cold, and she started hacking. Alec.

Azalea was more than halfway there, and the voices were starting to buzz. _I got this, I got this_, Azalea mentally rooted herself on.

She gulped down the last one, and then the applause sounded like the rumble of thunder. Nathan helped her off the chair and caught her in a hug. Guy stood up, ten shots still filled, and patted her on the back. "Good job, Azal!"

She burst into a smile, though she felt herself turning green. Rapunzel and Anna gave her hugs and Alex got her a glass of water. "You drink more than me!" His eyes were wide with warmth and surprise.

"Thanks, Alex." She managed to gasp. "Where's the washroom?"

Alex pointed it out to her, and then she was staggering the washroom, feeling sicker than when she had morning sickness. If she was with-child now, the baby would have been dead.

When she finished, she washed out her mouth and fixed the top of her dress. When had her bodice laces come undone?

Nathan was waiting for her at the end of the short hall when she came back. "Better?"

She nodded. "Did you undo my bodice laces?" She was tying them back as she asked.

"No." Nathan bent down to kiss her carefully, and she tasted the whiskey on his breath. "I know who will though."

"Who?" Nathan pushed her against the wall, and kisses her more passionately.

Nathan never got a chance to answer. Anna-Beth called them back to the bar. Anna looked at Azalea in empathy. "Got sick?"

Azalea nodded weakly and Anna smacked the back of Guy's head. "Ow!" He protested. Olivia and Rapunzel were talking about baby names by the tables Azalea had placed her bet with Guy.

Alex handed her another glass of water and a bowl of lamb stew. "Eat up, shake some of that whiskey off."

Azalea obeyed, and Candace ordered a bowl of soup herself. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

"Hey, Azalea. Nice job back there." She turned around, trying hard to keep the color in her face. Alec was smiling and offered her a hand. She shook it numbly.

"How's Matthew doing?" Her voice was steadier than she thought. She glanced down at her laces and then at Alec's hands.

"He's here, somewhere." Alec's eyes crinkled in an unpleasant way. Nathan looked at Alec and stiffened. His face morphed from friendly to rage in a second.

"Hi, Alec." Nathan put on a friendly face, though she could see his eyes were cold.

"Hi, Nathan, is it?" Alec's face morphed as well. He shook hands with Nathan a little too long. He stared around the room. "Where's Dwayne?"

"Dwayne!" Anna had been watching the exchange. Catching Azalea's scared eyes, she called him again. "Dwayne!" Urgency filled her tone.

Alec's sinister eyes zoomed in on Anna-Beth's face. "My, what a pretty thing. What's your name?"

Anna froze, and then she seemed like a stranger to them. "I'm Elizabeth, thank you." Anna stood up and laid a kiss on his cheek. "I come here a little too often, still do, but now because of my lovely ex-husband, Richard, I can't drink anymore." She pouted at Alec and her eyes were as cold as her older brother's. "It's a pity, isn't it, Mr. Ruffins?"

Alec seemed a little taken back but quickly regained his composure. "It is, Liz."

Anna stiffened. "Everyone here is dating someone, so hands off the ladies. And the men if you're like that. I know all these faces like the back of my hand. And it's _Elizabeth_. Liz was for Richard, Mr. Ruffins."

"Liz, I don't mean any offense-"

Anna's eyes turned hard. "Mr. Ruffins, did you hear me? It's Elizabeth." She sighed. "Alex never told me his brother was deaf."

Alec looked a little mad. "Elizabeth, I will assure you I'm not deaf-"

"You must be, because I'm asking you to leave in a nice way." Anna glared at him. "Thank you for the small talk, Mister Ruffins."

Alec looked at Azalea and Nathan, who tried to hide their shock. They must have hid it well, because then Alec disappeared among the tables.

Nathan looked at his younger sister in amazement. "Damn, Anna. Who the hell taught you that?"

"You and Dwayne, Nathan." Anna smiled like it hadn't happened. "I learned from the best."

Nathan nodded. "It would seem so."

Dwayne made it to them, and Azalea saw what had been taking him so long. He was swaying on his feet. "Yes, Anna?"

Anna looked at Nathan and Azalea. "It's time to go, Dwayne."

"All right." Dwayne seemed woozy. "See you guys later." He yelled at Olivia and Guy. "Nice night, guys. Thanks for the fun!"

When the pair left, Azalea and Nathan melted.

"Your sister is a keeper."

Nathan smiled. "Dwayne better _keep _her then."

Rapunzel came bouncing over, with Eugene playfully chasing her. "I want you to have one more shot, and then we'll go play 'Tower Fall', all right?"

"What's 'Tower Fall'?" Eugene asked, seeming less steadier since the last time she had seen him.

"We fall onto the bed. You're the hooks you climb up the tower with. I'm the tower. If you fall off of the tower, than we switch rolls. . ." Rapunzel let Eugene think about it. "One more shot, all right?" Azalea and Nathan exchanged glances, and Candace looked over to them to smile.

Eugene took the shot, and turned green. "Bye, guys." He stopped by the washroom, and walked out looking better. Alex bid them a safe return to the palace, and then it was just Adam and Fernidia, Candace and David, and Liam and Sarah.

David began telling wild tales of the last kingdom patrol, and they soon were all laughing the whiskey off. Candace was delicately sipping fresh orange juice and she was giggling when David rubbed her belly.

Matthew walked up to their table with Alec in tow. They hadn't changed a bit in the last two years. Same sinister stare, for Alec anyway, and same touchy hands. Matthew ruffled her hair when he got close. "Hey, Azalea."

"Hi, door mat." Azalea smiled, and wondered where her fierceness had come from. Anna was too good.

Alex looked up at Alec and saw the close proximity. Nathan was in the washroom. "Hey, Alec. Something wrong? They're enjoying their night."

"I only see _her_." Matthew smiled, his eyes somehow sad. Alex rolled his eyes, but stayed by her side.

"Can I get you anything?" Alex answered. He set a rather large frying pan on the counter next to Azalea's hand, the handle by her nose.

"Whatever she's having." Alec and Matthew took the empty seats next to her. Candace was back on David's lap again.

Sarah walked over to her and blinked in surprise at Alec and Matthew. "We're going to go. Candace is tired and Liam's drunk."

"Okay," inwardly Azalea was screaming, "_Don't leave me!"_. "I'll come with you-"

"Do you have to go?" Matthew whined. He looked up at Sarah and shook hands. "Hi, I'm Nathan's friend, Matthew."

Alex answered the question Matthew hadn't. "Poison. All right, I can do that." Alex poured them cups of whiskey. His eyes met hers and she saw that Alex didn't trust his brother. Sarah stood by them, and she saw the fear in Azalea's eyes. Her lip pulled down in a frown.

Nathan came back and saw the two men. "Hey, that's my seat."

Alec looked up. "Oh, is it? I'm sorry." His arm went around Azalea's shoulder and Azalea nearly screamed. Her vision went fuzzy and she tried to pull away.

"Don't touch me!" She cried, panicking. She fell from her stool onto the floor.

Understanding immediately, Sarah grabbed the handle of the frying pan and bashed Alec on the head with it. Alec went down with a groan, and Matthew raised his hands up in surrender. Alex yelled, "Run!"

Not understanding what was happening, the people in the Tavern rushed up to Alec and Matthew, yanking them away from Sarah and Azalea. Azalea spotted Diego running to Alec, rage on his face. Nathan pulled Azalea into his arms while Sarah screamed at David and Candace to leave. Liam was right on her heels as they all fled from the bar. She could hear the blows of punches and kicks being made on Alec's and Matthew's bodies.

Halfway to the palace, Nathan started laughing. He stared up at her with dancing fire in his eyes and Azalea started giggling. The look on Alec's face when he went down! She'd have to thank Sarah. She looked around for the clever young woman and didn't see her. They must have lost them trying to run.

It was past midnight, and Azalea saw the quarter moon hang over them. The clouds drifted low, and the moonlight felt faintly warm against her skin.

"Damn! Did you see his face? Matthew looked so scared-" Nathan couldn't go on. He grabbed her hand, still chuckling and they entered the palace.

She saw Olivia and Guy walking to them and smiled. "Thanks for the night!"

Guy was very steady on his feet. He must have recovered from the heavy whiskey quickly. "We'll be checking on our 'danger couples'. You've been warned."

" 'Danger couples'?" Azalea asked, yanking on the bottom of her red dress to pull it down lower. Her lips suddenly felt warm.

"The couples who aren't married or engaged. We'll be making sure they're not doing anything they'll regret in the morning." Olivia explained. "So I'll pop in every hour or so."

"Who are they?" Nathan smirked.

"You two, Fernidia and Adam. Dwayne and Anna, though they seem to be tying the knot. And that's it." Guy reflected Nathan's crooked smile. "Night."

"See you in an hour." Nathan waved.

The walk to the room seemed very long. She was aware of every tingle throbbing in her body. Nathan's hand felt so soft, and she wished that he were carrying her, just so she had an excuse to hold onto his neck.

She led the way to the room, Nathan's hand warm in hers. Before opening the door, Nathan turned her to him. She managed to gasp, "What is it?", before his lips crushed into hers.

She fell against the door, her hands by her sides. Nathan's hands wandered up and down her body, sending pleasant tingles throughout her veins. She shook with bliss as her hands reached up to tangle into his black hair.

Nathan's eyes were burning when one hand dodged around her side to open the door. They stumbled inside, and his lips were still against hers when he kicked the door closed with his foot.


	83. Saved From a Mistake

Chapter Eighty Three _Azalea's Point of View_

Nathan kissed her lips and she was walking backwards, her hands latched onto his curly dark hair. Moonlight flooded the open curtains –she had forgotten to close them before she left to get dressed- and danced in her vision. Whiskey, cologne, and perfume filled the air, making her nose tingle like the rest of her body.

Nathan panted around her lips and she gasped as the kisses were making her see the beautiful snow again. She grabbed at Nathan's neck with both hands, pulling him impossibly closer to her. The hand that had opened the door went to her lower back and she was struggling to see nothing more than Nathan's burning eyes.

She fell back and landed on soft cotton: the bed. She arched her back to keep her lips connected to his. Nathan landed on her softly, and she could feel him everywhere. He was in the air she breathed, and the spicy smell made her ache. He was under her skin and flooded her vision.

She reached up to fumble with the tuxedo jacket. Nathan pulled the burgundy sash off her waist with a simple tug. She began to unbutton the reddish pink shirt underneath, and pressed her lips to his again.

"Wait," Nathan spoke as one of his hands reached her bodice laces. She went still, trembling at how close the stars were. "I think we're drunk."

"I think so too." Why start a conversation when the stars were right above their heads? Azalea managed to pull back his shirt and her fingers gently stroked Nathan's smooth chest.

She realized he was slurring when she spoke. "I think I need to change clothes."

"Can I take them off?" Azalea felt him sit up. She sat up as well, looking at her, knowing her skin was as red as her dress.

"In that case," Nathan yanked off the shirt and pushed her wild hair back. He leaned in to kiss her, and then they broke into wild frenzy.

She stood up, her lips going to the crook of his neck as he helped her out the beautiful red dress. Somehow Nathan managed to step out of his midnight black pants, and then they were back on the bed again.

Azalea grabbed at his now bare back, her fingers rubbing his skin while she marveled at how soft his skin were. The supple muscles ripped in his arms as he stroked the nightgown.

"Am I supposed to take this off?" Nathan's voice was husky. "I-I. . . Damn, off it goes!" Azalea smiled a drunken smile and her vision blurred as Nathan reached down to move the straps.

Azalea bit back a moan as his too warm fingers moved one strap out of the way. Her face went blissful with pleasure when Nathan bent down to kiss the crook of her neck. "Nathan!"

"Hm?" Nathan didn't move, only suckled at her neck. She arched her back and Nathan nibbled hard enough for her to feel it through the whiskey. She panted and her hands pulled on his hair. The suckling and nibbling continued and she was overwhelmed when the strange need made an abrupt appearance.

"My. . .My turn." Azalea pushed against Nathan. He rolled over and she sat on his lap. She was panting hard, and struggled to get her breath back.

Nathan looked up from her, his hair streaked with white because of the moonlight. His green eyes seemed luminous and bottomless. They sparkled when she bent down to kiss him.

When her lips made contact, everything blurred. She laid down on him and began to kiss him fiercely. He moaned and his hands pushed her against him. He was in her veins. Her skin was burning as they started rolling over. Nathan ended up sitting up, with her on his lap. They bent in for a kiss, and then Azalea hugged herself against him. Her teeth grazed his ear and she whispered,

"Dolls are meant to play with, Nathan Valor Keen."

Nathan blew out a low coo and then he was on top of her again. The other strap was gone, and they were both trying to shuffle out of their undergarments. The whiskey filled the air and the cologne and perfume seemed to grow stronger as they moved. Anna-Beth and Candace had sprayed too much.

Nathan's spicy cologne filled her nose, and they couldn't pay attention to what each other looked like. It was there: the need. And she was beginning to feel like she was burning alive.

Their bare legs tangled together and there was one thought Azalea was thinking. It was all she could think about, and occupied every other thought other than Nathan's warm skin against hers: She and Nathan needed to make love. They needed to do it now.

Nathan gasped when she gently dug her nails into his back. He laid fiery kisses along her collarbone, about to go lower, when someone knocked on the door.

"Damn!" Nathan rolled over. He covered them both with the sheets, and called. "One moment." He looked at her, and she could still feel the heat in her cheeks. She covered her chest with the sheets, and looked at the door.

The doorknob turned and opened slowly.

"Hear anything?" Guy asked.

"Um, no. But that's probably bad." Olivia and her fiancé peeked in. She spotted them on the bed, and she and Guy walked in. Guy stared around the room.

"Nothing broken."

Azalea heard a barely audible crack coming from one of the bed's legs.

Olivia saw the clothes on the floor, and looked at the two of them. Her blue eyes, made dark blue in the gloom, narrowed. "May I ask what these are doing here?"

"I was going to tell you, but I got whiskey on my dress." Azalea lied. She felt the heat beginning to flare when Olivia looked at the sheets covering them.

"Nathan, why are your clothes on the floor?"

Nathan clucked his tongue nervously. "Alec spilled soup on my jacket."

Guy pulled Olivia away, looking at the two of them in empathy. "Nothing's going on. Let's leave them alone."

Olivia gathered up the clothes and huffed. "Be back in an hour." Her eyes went smaller.

When the engaged couple left, Nathan and Azalea leaned back against the bedpost. "Olivia's scary." Azalea mumbled.

Nathan nodded, and sighed. "Damn."

"What is it, Nathan?" Azalea scooted to him, reaching out to stroke his cheek with one hand.

"We were so close."

"Then let's go back."

Everything blurred again, and Azalea was caught up in bliss. Nathan kissed her cheek, then her other cheek. He kissed his lips, and their legs tangled as the stars came back into view.

Azalea sat up, panting his name. Nathan groaned as her hands drifted down to his lower back. She yanked him to her, and Nathan nibbled on her already ravished neck.

"We're going to make sweet love all night." Nathan cooed. Her lips mouthed the words, but she couldn't speak. Nathan was in her veins, and she was smoldering like his green pools of fire.

They started saying the words together, their lips ravishing each other, and then the door was yanked open again.

Arms pulled her away from Nathan. "What are you doing?" She cried out.

Nathan was still mumbling, "We're going to make sweet love all night."

Guy was chuckling but was otherwise very serious. Azalea saw Guy pull a cloth out of his pocket and lightly placed it to Nathan's face. Nathan went limp but was still conscious. Guy pushed him back on the bed and turned away when Olivia gave Azalea the same treatment.

Azalea could taste whiskey on her own breath, and sat up. "Liv?"

Olivia was about to press the cloth to her face again to make her sleep. Nathan was rendered unconscious by Guy. "What is it, Azalea?"

"Why did you do this?"

"Guy and I made the mistake we stopped you two from making." Olivia explained, and then the cloth was pressed to Azalea's face.

She felt the covers cover both of them up as everything turned black.


	84. Count the Bodies Like Sheep

Chapter Eighty Four _Azalea's Point of View_

She washed her face, the washroom cracked open. She could still smell the whiskey from two nights ago in the room. Nathan was already dressed and eating.

She hummed Anna's song under her breath, pulling on her trademark gray gown. She pulled the long sleeves up to her elbows before walking out of the Dining Hall.

Fernidia and Candace met her in the library, and then the three of them were bending over books. Periodically, Candace rubbed her belly and Fernidia played with her brown curls.

"Guy and Eugene have invited us to watch them train!" A loud gleeful yell made them jump. Rapunzel was standing at the threshold of the library, being shushed by Azalea.

Candace winced, her dark brown eyes wide. "You scared me!"

Rapunzel seemed repentant. "Sorry, but they've just started. Michael's finally showed up again. This is their last one for a while." Excitement lit up her face.

Fernidia looked a bit pale. "Then let's go."

Azalea followed them to the gardens. The sun was weak from the oncoming rain storm. Clouds covered the sky and she could feel a few sprinkles on her skin. "Why are they training in the rain?"

Eugene and Guy were standing in the middle of the gardens, away from the sun flowers. Azalea remembered the last time she had been in the gardens and felt dizzy. Alex and David greeted them with nods and Nathan stood by her when he walked out of the palace. Dwayne and Michael stood nearby, and beside Michael was Adam. Adam winked at Fernidia, and Fernidia played with her hair more urgently.

Liam and Sarah were standing closest to Azalea, and she caught Sarah in a hug, having not seen her since the bachelorette night. "Thanks for what you did to Alec."

Sarah laughed at the memory. "No problem. I had fun."

Alex spoke up, "He had it coming, if you ask me."

Azalea did a double take when she glanced at Michael. His hair was messy and his eyes were foggy. His hands were shaking and she saw that his foggy eyes were staring at the swords in Eugene and Guy's left hand.

Rapunzel looked at the weapons and scowled. "What if one of you gets hurt?"

Guy blinked. "I won't be fighting. It'll be Adam, Michael, Eugene, Liam, David, and Nathan. I wish I could though." Wistfulness filled Guy's green eyes.

Liam grabbed the sword from Guy. "Damn. Is this yours?" He looked at the silver blade and seeing the blade flash made Azalea want to sit down. Guy nodded and Liam whistled.

Without warning, Eugene hurled himself at Liam. Liam sidestepped and put his foot out to trip him. Eugene took a quick, wobbling step back and Liam's sword flashed at Eugene's arm.

Eugene dodged and swung his sword, aiming for Liam's leg. Liam jumped back and Azalea found it hard to tear her eyes away. Alex's body twisted and turned for moves he would have made, obviously missing his boyhood days. Nathan's eyes were twinkling and she realized that it had been a long time since Nathan had held a sword in his hand.

Liam fell backwards, and Eugene pinned Liam down with his foot. He put the tip of the blade at Liam's neck. Liam smirked and kicked Eugene's leg away with his boot. Eugene gasped in surprise and Liam knocked Eugene over.

Michael's entire body began shaking when Liam and Eugene began to wrestle on the floor. Adam put his hand on Michael's shoulder, and then Michael bit his lip.

Liam sat up, somehow a few yards from Eugene and sighed. "We'll keep going forever. Who's up next?"

Azalea barely heard Michael's reply. "Me."

Liam handed Michael the sword, and Adam and Fernidia sucked in horrified breaths.

Eugene smiled at Michael, and an ugly smile took hold of Michael's face. His hair seemed darker in the rain, and his dark brown eyes seemed empty and cold. Michael turned into Jacob right in front of Azalea's eyes.

Michael smiled, and Fernidia's eyes went dark when Michael spoke. His voice sounded stronger, more like it had when Azalea had first met him.

"Come and get me."

**Michael's Point of View**

The sword felt remarkably good in Michael's hands. He stared at Michael, and felt the first drops of rain on his forehead. In the cage, Michael tried to use the shock of the cold to drop the sword, but Michael held onto it fiercely.

"Come and get me." Michael sneered, and Michael started banging on the walls of the cage, screaming for Eugene to run.

Eugene grinned, and hurled himself at him. Fernidia screamed, and Michael was knocked down by Eugene. Michael quickly tried to sink the blade into Eugene's skin, but even wrestling on the ground, Eugene wasn't slow. Eugene's hazel eyes went dark when he saw the clouds in Michael's brown eyes.

Michael grabbed Eugene's arm hard with his free hand, and stood up. Michael screamed in the cage. Eugene staggered to keep his feet on the ground, and Fernidia was still screaming.

"I'm going to kill Eugene, don't you see?" He remembered himself cry.

Michael threw Eugene to the ground, picturing himself throwing the sword straight through Eugene's back.

"You don't get it; he's going to die terribly!"

Eugene got up, a bit daunted. He dodged around Michael's quick jerk of the sword to his face, and knocked Michael's feet from under him. Michael found it surprisingly easy to concentrate though he could see himself grabbing hold of Eugene's face and snapping his neck.

"I wouldn't be able to stop myself."

"Jacob!" Michael screamed inside his mind. Jacob was standing by the cage, and holding the shoulder of a Michael outside of the cage. The free Michael's hair slowly darkened to chocolate brown. His eyes seemed to lighten to white and then to a deep gray. "Damn you!"

Michael laid on the ground, the air driven out of his lungs. He sat up woozily, and then recovered as his mind wandered. He had to stop. Michael tried to break out of the cage. His vision fuzzed as he stared at Jacob through the iron bars-

"Jacob's too powerful for me. I can only keep him at bay for so long."

Michael got up quickly, grabbing his sword. Eugene looked at Michael, and his eyes grew wide. He began to back away, but Michael's mind was two steps ahead of him.

He could hear his own voice wild and desperate, ringing in his ears.

"Oh God, I can see so many ways!"

Michael threw the sword straight at Eugene.

"I can't forget you, Fernidia."

_Azalea's Point of View_

Nathan yelled, a distorted cry, "No!"

He and Adam rushed at Eugene. Adam jumped in front of Eugene, his hand reaching for the sword. Azalea and Rapunzel screamed when the sword went through Adam's stomach. Eugene caught Adam by the shoulders and fell down. Nathan tackled Michael, who began to groan.

Rapunzel and Olivia began screaming and Fernidia started crying. Nathan and Michael began to throw punches while wrestling, much like how he and Dwayne had been in Azalea's former home. Dwayne and Liam rushed to Adam's side while David was stunned. Alex shook David into motion and they ran to pull Michael away from Nathan.

Azalea screamed in horror, trapped in immobility, when Michael pulled a large glass shard from under his shirt. He thrust the shard into the air and a piercing yell of agony from Nathan made the world rock under her feet.

Guy flitted from to Sarah's side, and then to Olivia's, and Rapunzel's. He muttered words of comfort but his eyes were stunned.

Liam yanked Michael by the shoulders, but a swinging fist to his face made Liam fall on his back to the ground, unconscious. Eugene began to shake Adam fiercely while blood dripped from Adam's mouth.

Dwayne punched Michael in the side of the jaw. Michael abandoned kicking Nathan in the stomach, and began to throw vicious punches to Dwayne's body. Anna-Beth shrieked in fright when Dwayne's eyes began to roll back in his head at the force of the blows. Dwayne's knees buckled, and then he fell to the ground on his knees. Michael aimed a kick to Dwayne's chest and Dwayne hit the ground face down.

Michael looked at Azalea and her friends, and a cruel smile lit his face. Guy stood his ground hopelessly, his right hand clutched in a fist. Michael ran to them and Azalea and her friends scattered. They ran to the gate and tugged at it, but their shaking hands couldn't form a grip on the handle.

Azalea screamed when she felt arms tug her away from them. She was pushed to the ground face up, and she struggled to get air back into her lungs. Michael's twisted face, full of pain, was the last thing she saw before a black boot came across her face.

**Michael's Point of View**

Jacob was laughing with glee and unlocked the cage. Michael surged forward, wanting to punch him in the face. The need vanished as soon as Michael was on his feet. Michael looked up at the Michael standing before him with dark brown hair and grayish brown eyes.

Michael reached up to touch the Michael's face but his fingers touched glass. Michael whipped around in horror to Jacob, now understanding. Horror made him freeze, and Jacob's evil laughter chilled him to the bone.

Jacob was winning-

Michael dragged Anna-Beth away from the door, moving around Azalea's limp body.

"Michael, stop!" Anna screamed. Michael stared her in the eyes, feeling the darkness in them. She trembled in his hands, and Michael put his hand over her heart. She went rigid, frozen.

"Sleep."

Her terrified eyes closed and she fell down.

Michael laid her carefully on her back. He turned to the girls at the door, grinning. Rapunzel caught his gaze, and saw Anna-Beth on the ground. Her horrified scream sounded like music to his ears. He grabbed her by the shoulder with one hand, and yanked hard on her blond braid.

"Sleep." She fell down onto her back. He dragged her body from the others, and Fernidia managed to get a grip on the door. He was behind her in lightning speed, and his hand clamped around her neck. He squeezed until she went limp. He hadn't killed her, but she was about to open the door.

Olivia fainted when she saw her seemingly dead sister. All that was left was Sarah and Candace. Michael could hear Eugene struggling to shake Adam in alertness.

Michael grabbed Sarah and Candace's arms. He looked at them and smiled. "You'll hardly feel a thing." He let go of Candace to grab Sarah by the sides of her face. He stared into her eyes, and was surprised to see them dim. "Go to sleep, _Joyce_." She collapsed into his arms. He set her down and pinned Candace against the wall.

She whimpered and trembled. "Michael, why are you doing this? Y-you killed Adam!"

Michael smiled. "Who's Michael?" He put one hand on her stomach and her eyes rolled back. "Candace, you need to sleep. Do it now; Sleep."

He turned back to his friends, Candace's limp body sinking to the ground. They had been watching in horror, too much horror to move. Michael frowned when he looked at Nathan. He had directly stopped him from killing Eugene. He'd have to die first. Adam had jumped in the way and was probably already dead.

Pity. Jacob had made it where Michael had wanted to kill his older brother.

Nathan was sitting up, blood pulsing from the wound in his side. "Michael, what the hell. . .?" Nathan's eyes were glassing over; Nathan was losing too much blood to stay conscious. "Who the hell are you?"

Michael yanked Guy from Eugene and Adam's side to kick him hard in the stomach. Guy choked on air. "I'm Jacob, Nathaniel."

Michael dropped Guy to the wet ground and the leader of the knights didn't stir. Adam stared at Michael with horror-filled and fuzzy eyes. Michael looked at Eugene, and realized that he still had to kill him.

Michael jerked back from the mirror, bumping into Jacob. Jacob sunk his nail-like claws in Michael's shoulders.

David was trying to put pressure on Adam's wound and Alex was standing protectively over the two of them. Eugene stood up, the sword still in his hand. Michael looked at his sword in Adam's stomach, and then back at Eugene.

"Damn." Eugene looked at the unconscious young maidens by the Gate. "Michael, I can't believe. . ." His eyes went dark. "No, wait. You're Jacob now. Let me guess, he hypnotized you."

Michael went cold by the mirror, and hope shone in his grayish brown eyes. "He knows! He knows!"

Michael broke through to smile, but then it was gone. "Something close to it."

Michael stalked to the injured men.

"You're going to die too. Both of you, and I'll laugh so hard." He had said to Fernidia and Adam.

Everything blurred and drops of liquid spattered on Michael's face. When he made the world go still around them, Eugene and David were laying down with blood dripping down their foreheads. Alex was limp, sitting against the tree. Michael strained to see that Alex's leg was broken and he was breathing laboriously.

Michael looked up at the sky when more raindrops began to fall. He looked down at his hands, and saw the blood.

He couldn't help himself. He started _laughing_.

The howls were mad and he trembled with the shock of it. Michael by the mirror broke it with his fists, and punched Jacob in the face, in horror at what he had done.

Michael pulled the shard from Nathan's limp body. He looked around, still laughing.

He remembered what Jacob used to murmur in his ear at night while his mind went wild at the numerous ways he could kill Eugene. _Count the bodies like sheep to the rhythm of the war drums._

Michael put the shard up to his throat, the howls taking on sobs.

_Azalea's Point of View_

The first thing she registered that it was very quiet.

Rain fell down on her cold body, and her shudders made her more alert. She sat up with a groan, her head pounding. She felt bodies around her, and she clamped her hand over her mouth to stop from screaming.

Fernidia, Candace, Sarah, Rapunzel, Olivia, and Anna-Beth were laying all around her, motionless.

She looked up, it all coming back in a terror-filled rush. _He_ was still around.

Azalea heard laughter up ahead, and shakily stood up. Michael was laughing, looking at his limp friends. The laughter abruptly changed, and tears were streaming down his face. The rain began to pour on them, and then Azalea froze.

Michael slashed the blade across his throat, his eyes locking with hers.

She saw his eyes clear and a smile brighten his face. His dark hair seemed to lighten to blond again, and his brown eyes seemed to turn hazel.

Michael's last words made her realize why Michael had done what he did.

"Jacob made me do it."

Then Michael collapsed.


	85. Though the Clouds Fall, A Fire Goes Out

K*H*W* (go to my profile :)

* * *

><p><span>Chapter Eight Five<span> _Azalea's Point of View_

She ran to Michael's side, a bit daunted. Michael sat up, shaking from head to toe. His hazelish brown eyes met her scared greenish gray eyes and his lips formed words, "Go see them."

Azalea looked at the blood pouring from his wound, and then looked at where her friends lay.

Her nightmare suddenly filled her mind.

She is standing on a field under a red sky. A hard gust of cold air makes her wobble backward. Azalea turns back around to see thousands bodies on the ground: Olivia, Guy, Eugene, the king, the queen-

She shook the dim memory of the nightmare away, and hurried to an unconscious Adam. She looked at the sword in his stomach, and tried hard not to retch. Her hand shakily grabbed the handle, and she bit her lip. She yanked the sword out, and more blood flooded from the wound. She gagged and dropped the sword, her hands going to Adam's face.

"Adam, can you hear me?" She felt dread flood her senses when he didn't respond, and looked at Eugene and David. They had bruises on the sides of their faces. Guy was unconscious, as was Liam and Dwayne. She clambered to her feet, seeing stars.

She fled to the gate, her mind fogging. She could hear herself screaming. "Can someone help me? They're all dead, they're all dead!"

Loud yells and screams sounded around her as she ran down hallways. She saw flashes of Stephanie's face. The king and queen were suddenly in her face and she was aware that she was still screaming. She yanked hard on someone's arm, pulling them to the gardens.

Diego's voice echoed in her ears. "Calm down, Azalea. What's happened?"

She pushed the person to the gate of the gardens, her vision going in and out. She fought to take deep breaths as she explained. "Michael. . . He attacked everyone. They're all dead, they're all dead, they're all dead!"

The queen gasped when she saw Olivia and Fernidia limp on the soggy ground. The rain felt cold to Azalea, and she shuddered as she stared at her unconscious friends.

She stumbled, her legs unable to hold her up anymore. She crawled to Rapunzel's side, shaking the Princess. "Rapunzel, please! I need you to help me! God, wake up!"

Alex groaned from where he was. Diego was shaking David, his tears blending into the rain. "David! David!"

Liam sat up, breathing hard. His eyes were still blank with terror, and he stared at Michael's body propped up against a tree. He shakily got to his feet, and ran to Sarah's side. He pulled her close to him, rocking back and forth. "Damn him, damn him, damn him." Liam chanted.

Rapunzel stirred, her green eyes slowly opening. "Azalea," she breathed. "Oh, why did Michael do this to us?" Azalea helped her sit up.

Azalea felt tears stream from her eyes, some of them were relief and some were sadness. "You have to help me," she whispered.

Rapunzel nodded, and looked at Eugene. A sob escaped her, and then they both were staggering to Eugene's side. Rapunzel stroked Eugene's dark hair, her eyes turning red. "Eugene, I'm so sorry." She grabbed him by the shoulders and cried. "I'm so sorry! I'm. . ."

Azalea looked at Adam's wound, and she looked up when a fading perfume settled on her. Fernidia was shaking on her feet, and bruises enveloped her neck like a neck lace. She bent down to brush Adam's wet hair from his eyes. Fernidia made a choking sound and looked at Azalea with bloodshot eyes. "Is he dead?"

Azalea didn't know how to respond. She looked at Rapunzel, who was sobbing gut-wrenching sobs. The queen came up behind Rapunzel, her own eyes red. She began to unbraid her daughter's hair, and Rapunzel parted it to put parts on Adam's wound and Eugene's head.

"_Flower gleam and glow. Let your power s-shine._" Rapunzel's voice faltered as she sang and she began to go pale."_Make the clock reverse. Bring back what once was mine,_" Rapunzel screamed and nearly yanked her hair away. "_Heal what h-has been hurt. Change the fate's design. Save what has been-_"

Rapunzel crumbled, her arms going to her chest. She started screaming and everyone jumped. Rapunzel struggled to quiet the screams, and tried to keep singing. "_Save what has been lost. Bring back what once was mine. What. . .Once was mine_."

Eugene put his hands to his bleeding head, wincing. "Blondie? It was you. . ." He sat up and crawled to Adam, who was beginning to open his eyes. They were fuzzy as they focused on Fernidia.

"I'm here all my life, so come again." He mumbled and a tiny smile lit Fernidia's face. She stroked his hair back, her eyes going to Rapunzel, who looked sick.

Rapunzel sat up and looked at Azalea. "I didn't expect it to hurt so much."

"What to hurt?" Azalea found it hard to stand.

"When I was healing them, they were so close to death. It hurt my heart." Rapunzel stood up, and moved to Alex's side. She put a blond tendril on his leg, wincing. It was easier for her to sing this time, and Alex opened his eyes before she finished. He nodded at her, relief making his eyes sparkle.

Azalea looked at Michael and Nathan's bodies. Guy, David, and Dwayne were still unconscious. She heard Candace and Anna-Beth begin crying as they woke up, to be comforted by the king. Olivia was sobbing when she ran to Guy's body. She shook him roughly, crying his name. Guy's green eyes flitted open, and he reached to grab Olivia's face to pull her in for a relieved kiss.

Azalea shook when she walked to Nathan's side. "Nathan?" She dared to speak, the rain feeling like ice as it touched her skin.

Nathan didn't move, and Azalea fell to her knees. She looked down at him, the tears falling faster.

Nathan's black flop of hair was spattered with icy diamonds. His eyes were closed, but she knew that they were the prettiest green she had ever seen next to Rapunzel's irises. The muscles in his arms were slack, and his head lolled to one side when she pulled his head on her wet lap. He looked oddly peaceful, like he had fallen asleep out in the gardens. His lips were curled up in a tiny smile.

"Put him in the middle of the flowers." Rapunzel's voice in her ear made her jump.

"What about Michael?" Azalea hardly recognized her own voice.

Rapunzel didn't answer. The king and a dazed Dwayne helped move Nathan's body to the patch of sun flowers. They glowed when Nathan's body touched them.

Azalea sat down next to Nathan, feeling warm inside but numb. The moonstone necklace that she had forgotten she was wearing began to glow. She grabbed Nathan's limp hand and prayed for his eyes to open.

Michael stared at her from his strange hazel eyes. "Why would you bring me back?" He asked slowly.

The king shook his head, Sarah and Liam standing by his side. "Michael, I can't fathom why you would do this."

Michael shook his own head. "Jacob Fernando is a powerful persuader." He closed his eyes, sighing when the flowers' magic began to heal the wound in his neck.

Azalea had originally thought that only Rapunzel had the power to heal wounds, but since the power had originated from the sun flowers, of course the flowers would be able to heal people, too. And since it had seemed that wounds like Adam's and Michael's would harm Rapunzel if she tried, the flowers were probably better to use than for Rapunzel to sing.

Azalea looked at Nathan, expecting the flowers' magic to start healing him as well, when nothing happened.

"Nathan?" She loomed over him, panic making her abruptly energetic. "Nathan, can you hear me?" She shook him.

Nathan didn't stir, and she unbuttoned his vest to see the wound still bleeding. She went pale when she saw the deep purple bruises on his ribs after lifting up his shirt.

Everyone around her was awake and dazed. There were gasps of horror when they saw the bruises, and Azalea's mind couldn't comprehend it. Nathan wasn't dead, was he?

"Nathan Valor Keen, if you don't open your eyes. . ." She couldn't go on.

"Azalea," Alex tried to pull her from him. She screamed, crying and sobbing.

"He can't be! He's not dead, he's not!" Azalea struggled to escape Alex's tight grip, inwardly amazed that he was standing. "Nathan, open your eyes! Nathan, please!"

Nathan pants around her lips and she gasps as the kisses are making her see the beautiful snow again. She grabs at Nathan's neck with both hands, pulling him impossibly closer to her. The hand that had opened the door goes to her lower back and she is struggling to see nothing more than Nathan's burning eyes.

"Am I supposed to take this off?" Nathan's voice is husky. "I-I. . . Damn, off it goes!"

Another memory.

Nathan blinked hard, and then laid his head on her neck. His warm breath made her shiver under him.

After a few moments, Nathan sits up. He pulls her up to kiss her cheek, and then he shifts to his side of the bed.

"Night."

"Night?" Azalea sits up, confused when he rolled away. "We hardly did anything." Azalea can feel the ache inside begin to flare. "You do all that, and then you say 'Night'?"

Nathan smiles. "Yup." His lips made the _p_ pop.

Azalea puts her head in her hands. "You made me think you were going to eat me!"

"I was, but I'm saving you for dessert later." Nathan rubs her shoulder. "Had fun?"

Azalea fell to her knees, unable to breathe.

"Nathan Valor Lei Keen, you are the most beautiful monster I have ever met."

"At least I'm beautiful." Nathan chuckles, and kisses her 'goodnight'.

"Azalea, he's going to be okay," Rapunzel vaguely promised her, sitting down to Nathan's body. She sang the song, her hair placed on Nathan's wound, but he didn't move.

Azalea couldn't believe it. _Not Nathan!_ The single thought is a wail.

Azalea looks at Nathan and quickly pecks his cheek when he came back down. She whispers in his ear:

"I love you."

Nathan's eyes are stunned and they follow her when she walks onto the platform.

Another memory.

"Aw."

"What?" She glances at him then back to the window.

"No more blizzards now." He pokes out his lower lip.

A memory that made her feel warm, though she was shivering.

"We're going to fall," Azalea breaths into his ear whenever he gets close.

To that, he replies, "At least we'll fall together."

The way he had tugged her to the lake.

"Are we still going to glide?"

"Yup," Nathan grabs her hand again. He clutches it tight. "Sorry, Doll. You're not getting out of this."

The game they had played in the rain.

Azalea is sure he was as caught up in their game as she is, and neither look at where they were going. She takes three steps to him the third time and leans her face up to his like she is going to kiss him-

The memories of them working in the red clay.

She gets up to deliver more wet bricks and gave one to a tan hand asking for one.

The head looks up and she sees Nathan's green eyes staring at her. He manages a quick welcoming smirk at her and she feels her skin flush. He grins even bigger and waves her along, winking.

His words to her at the check-in.

"If it happens every day, and I still get to have you just like this, I'd take it anyway, Doll."

His casual, half-serious joke.

"H-how are you sure?"

"Because if you die, we won't be able to make sweet love at night. . . So stick around for me."

His ridiculously sweet song.

"We're going to make sweet love all night."

The several times they had nearly kissed, when Azalea had been Rapunzel.

A bird coos loudly above them and they both pull away. "Sorry!" She gasps, but she can still feel the sparks charging through her chin from his gentle touch.

"Sorry, as well." Nathan looks away. "That was out of line."

_I think it was very in line._

The day before they had rescued Rapunzel. The day Azalea had told him her secret.

"What are you doing?" She asks him when she finishes washing her hands. Nathan takes her hands in his and kisses her wet fingertips. She blushes and tries to pull them away.

"I want to know something," Nathan whispers. His green eyes are smoldering in the gloom as they focus on her gaze. "What do you really look like?"

Azalea breathes out. "I think you can imagine."

His teasing remarks.

"Have you done something you're not proud of?"

"I hid a dress for her."

"Smart." Nathan ruffles her hair.

The way he said,

"What do I call you now?"

"Call me nothing. I feel like nothing."

"You are everything to me."

How he wanted to take her anywhere and everywhere.

"You're not expected back some place, are you?"

"They'll think I got lost."

"Name choosing again?"

She nods.

"Any ideas?"

Azalea tries harder to hide her wince. "Not many."

"Tell me some."

"Ava."

"Ava what?"

Azal nudges him, blushing. "I think it might be a nickname."

The second secret he knew about, the most painful one.

"What would you have named her?"

"Aza, but now I think her name would have been Ava."

The way she slowly fell in love with him, without even knowing it.

"Hi, Nathan." She looks at him, sad all over again that she was pretending to be Rapunzel. "How's it going?"

"You mean how's guarding the most important woman in the Kingdom?"

His voice when he introduced himself.

"Nathan Keen."

What she had told him when she knew she was going to die.

"I love you."

Olivia's bachelorette night.

"I'm in love with the girl in red. Just a warning: Hands off."

What he said to her:

"Just remember that I love you, Doll."

Rapunzel stood up, shaking. "Azalea, I-I'm so sorry. He's not healing." Eugene wrapped her in a hug, dried blood near his eyes. He looked at Azalea, and the look of the pity in his eyes made her wince.

Anna bent over her older brother's body, crying. Azalea pulled away from Alex to crouch next to Anna. Azalea could only cry, and Anna put her arm around Azalea's shoulder.

"Let me. . . Try." Azalea mumbled numbly. Not Nathan, not Nathan, not Nathan.

Anna-Beth nodded, and stood up to be caught in Dwayne's arms. Azalea looked up at the sky for a moment, feeling as if the sky was weeping for her lost.

"_Flower gleam and glow. Let your power shine. Make the clock reverse. Bring back what once was mine. Heal what has been hurt. Change the fate's design. Save what has been lost. Bring back what once was mine._" Azalea stared at Nathan's peaceful face. She looked at her shoulders to see her hair glowing silver. She placed her glowing hands on Nathan's face, and felt his cold skin. Nathan had always been so warm to her before.

"The flowers are glowing." David's hoarse voice made her look up. The golden yellow sun flowers were glowing silver all around them. Michael was on his feet, standing away from the others. The clouds were gone, but Michael looked lost.

She looked back down at Nathan's gentle face, her shoulders beginning to shake as she fought to keep more sobs at bay.

His question, how he seemed to already know.

He strokes her hair, and stares down at her.

"You were drinking to forget something sad, weren't you?"

The way she tried to tell him, in a message that wasn't understood.

"Nathan, what would you do if I were to die?"

Nathan frowns, and his hand holding hers chill noticeably. "If you were to die, I'd. . . You know, follow suit."

"What if we had children before then?"

Nathan frowns deeper. "Azalea, you know I'd stay for the children."

Azalea shakes her head. "Okay, Nathan. What if you knew I was going to die? What would you do when it was supposed to happen in the next five minutes?"

"Azalea, you're not dying right now-"

"Nathan, what would you do?"

Nathan's face drains of color, Azalea can see it in the moonlight that shines on them and the rippling waves of the dark blue lake. "I'd keep you away from wherever it would happen."

"What if you didn't know where it would happen?" Azalea starts to breathe fast. She starts to ask more questions but Nathan quickly stops her with a kiss.

"Azalea, please." Nathan pleads. His eyes are shining red. "Don't talk about death."

How he described how she fell in love with him. The words were simple, but the impact was powerful.

"How did I find you?"

Nathan smiles and chuckles for a moment. He pulls away, and she can only stare at him. His black hair messily frames his face, and some strands are glowing a brilliant white. His eyes are made dark green by the shadow casted on his face.

"You became a princess."

His words. The ones that kept echoing in her mind: "Just remember that I love you, Doll."

She bent down to kiss Nathan, her lips aching. When they made contact, he blinked his eyes open.

Nathan sat up, and she saw flecks of her silvery tears on his eyelids. "Doll?" He gasped, and then his body flooded with heat. He wrapped her in a tight hug.

She pulled him in for a kiss, relief making her head spin.

"I thought I lost you."

Nathan smiled dazedly. "Why would I leave you? We're-"

Azalea sang it with him. "We're going to make sweet love all night."

The rain began to feel warm.


	86. Healing and Matthew's Redemption

K*H*W* (go to my profile :)

* * *

><p><span>Chapter Eighty Six<span>  Jacob's Point of View

It was a pity. Michael had been so close.

Jacob watched through the bushes, somehow pleased with himself. It was good idea for him to check on the sun flowers in the gardens. He just hadn't expected them to start training so quickly.

Michael had taken them all down faster than Jacob had anticipated.

He smiled as he crept away, his eyes drawn to Michael's hands being tied together by rope. The hypnotist didn't struggle at all, and only stared at the guards tying his hands together with dim remorse in his eyes.

Jacob rode back to the tower, unease creeping through his body. Michael was supposed to kill Eugene, and Azalea would have been dead. He would have had Rapunzel all to himself. But now Azalea was alive, Eugene wasn't harmed, and Michael was being arrested.

He thought back to how he had seen the handsome dark-haired male rush at Michael. The man had done it so fast without thinking. Such impulse would prove to be a problem. Now Jacob would have to kill the dark-haired man to get to Azalea now. Azalea had screamed his name.

"Nathan!"

It hit Jacob in one inspiring instant. He was the man with her at the trial. Michael had even said his name as well. Nathaniel.

Jacob's hands turned into fists as he held onto the reigns. He was going to have to be even more careful now. His dark cloak wasn't rare in the kingdom, one out of every five men could be seen wearing one, so he was safe in that way. But he needed to get to Diego, or even Nathan himself.

Jacob frowned. So many people needed to be dead now.

_For just one girl!_ Jacob's frown deepened. But Rapunzel wasn't an ordinary girl. Azalea wasn't an ordinary girl either, not anymore. She had brought Nathaniel back to life.

He'd have to find William. Diego was too busy trying to get back on Stephanie's good side, and Jacob found it irritating. If Jacob hadn't made Diego so mad that day, he wouldn't have had to worry about the man going after Stephanie in the long run.

Jacob shook his head. The damage was done.

How would he kill Nathan? Azalea needed to die as well, and he couldn't fail on the second attempt. Diego either needed to be dead, or somehow out of the picture. Dwayne, being the traitor that he was, needed to die as well. But Dwayne needed to feel pain. . .

Nathan's sister, Anna-Beth, would be a good way to get back at him.

Jacob set the horse loose, now realizing that traveling on a horse would be too dangerous. Alex was certainly still a problem, and thinking of the elderly man made Jacob's blood begin to boil. His brother Alec and his friend Matthew could be some use to him. After all, it wasn't Dwayne who had made it for Azalea to marry Alec. Not that Azalea would ever find out, of course.

_I need to kill them all before Rapunzel has the babies._ Jacob sighed. _As low as I am, I'm not fond of killing infants_. He had only done it once, and by pure accident. It had been Azalea's.

He thought back to when he had got inside Azalea's house, the door unlocked, and saw the tea kettle on the stove. It hadn't been what he had put in the tea that had killed Azalea's little girl, but stress itself. She had tried to keep it a secret from them for so long, almost a full nine months, and her body had given out in her sleep.

Jacob had only realized of Azalea's pregnancy when he saw the pink rocking chair in the corner of the room. Rosemary had been out buying yarn and fabric for them to make little clothes, so she had never realized he was there.

Jacob laid on the bed, his mind going around in organized circles as he planned.

Michael and Diego needed to be gone. Azalea, Nathan, Dwayne, and Alex needed to be dead. So many ways for them to die, but so little time. He had a little over two weeks, if he was correct.

_It doesn't matter; they'll die regardless. I need to figure out how Azalea and Nathan are going to die. It seems to me that they're tying it up. Maybe they should die together, to make it sweet._

Doing it on the kingdom patrol would be a good idea.

When he slept, he dreamed of fire.

_Azalea's Point of View_

Nathan got to his feet, his knees shaking. He looked around, seeing everyone's eyes on him. "You'd think I died or something. I'm fine, ladies and gentlemen."

"Just making sure," Anna-Beth's voice shook as she grabbed Nathan's hand to kiss it. "Don't you want to see my baby when he comes?"

Nathan smiled weakly. "You think he's a boy?"

"Why not, Nathan Keen? Why not?" Dwayne patted Nathan gently on the shoulder. The wind shook rain on them, and Azalea followed the king and queen back to the palace. Diego was right behind Stephanie, murmuring words that she couldn't hear. Stephanie could however, and though her eyes were sad, she didn't look at Diego. Olivia and Fernidia were staring at Diego with confused eyes, and Azalea remembered then that the Goldfinch Sisters didn't know Diego was their father. She had only found out the news from Rapunzel. They managed to keep the Goldfinch Sisters clueless.

Stephanie made them all go to rest in their rooms after putting bandages on Adam and Nathan's wounds. Stephanie left them two bowls of lamb stew and lit some candles in the room. It was only just past noon, but the clouds and the rain made it seem like dusk.

Azalea eased Nathan on the bed, her heart in her throat. He bit his lips, his face going pale, as he sat up on top of the covers. His side must be hurting but Azalea was afraid to look.

Fear and anxiety filled her. Would Nathan even want to eat? What if he was just saying he was fine now but then he'd been dead tomorrow morning? What if the bed was too cold? Should she roll around on it to make it warmer? What if he needed to go to the washroom but fell on his way there? She'd have to stay up all night-

Nathan sighed in relief when he finally managed to get comfortable, and watched her while she flitted about their room. She went to the open curtains and closed them. Azalea nearly fell as she closed the cracked bedroom door, then did the same for the washroom. She paused and then opened the washroom door all the way. She got the silver tray and was about to sit on the bed when Nathan's voice broke her concentrated silence.

"Doll, slow down. I'm really all right." His green eyes stared at her while she bounced across the room.

Azalea suddenly felt her lungs collapse on themselves. She fought to take deep breaths. She had nearly lost him and he was telling _her_ to slow down. "Nathan, shush."

"Azalea, I'm fine-"

"No, Nathan. I need to do this. You're hurt and I-"

"I'm just telling you to take it easy."

"I don't want you to have to move around!"

"I'm fine, look at me!"

"Yes, look at you. My shining knight in bandages and covered in bruises!" Her voice shook. "I shouldn't have let you run at him."

"He would have killed Eugene!"

"Nathan, I just want you to stay put-"

"Azalea, I'm fine! Doll, I'm okay, just take it easy-"

"Let me take care of you!" She set the tray down, the air in her lungs rushing in and out in quick _whoosh_ sounds. She hadn't realized she was sobbing until Nathan's protests died away. Azalea sat down on the bed, her back facing him. "I. . .I don't want you to get hurt any more than you already are. . ." Nathan went quieter, if possible.

She drew in a deep breath to go on. "Just stay put for me, okay?" She turned to him, tears in her eyes. "Please? Don't go anywhere."

Nathan looked quiet. "Okay," he said. She sucked in another breath.

Azalea got up and picked up the tray. She sat down on her side, putting the tray in the middle of them. She picked up a spoon and dipped it in the bowl. She felt relief ease the tension in her body when he ate the soup off the spoon.

Nathan rubbed her shaking shoulders with almost cold hands. "Azalea, I'm going to be all right. You. . . You healed me. I'm healing as we speak." His eyes were miserable when he gazed at her. The candlelight cast shadows on them, but she was still able to see his lips curl up to form a weak smile.

Azalea set the spoon down, the bowl halfway finished. "I just don't want to lose you. I panicked while you were out. I don't want to live without you for another moment."

Nathan's green eyes glowed faintly as they gazed into her eyes. "I'll take it slow." He promised.

Azalea watched his face when he finished the soup. His eyelids drooped and then he blinked them open. This happened several times before she murmured, "Are you in pain?"

"Nothing I can't deal with." Nathan answered but his sweet green eyes were burning with agony.

"I can go find the herbs for you." She offered.

Nathan opened his mouth in protest, sitting up, but he fell back down with a groan. "If you're sure. . ."

"I'll be right back." She kissed his cheek, picking up the tray. She scooted off the yellow bedspread and put it on the drawer.

"You haven't touched your soup yet. Aren't you hungry?" Nathan asked her. She waved him away.

"I'm taking care of you, remember?"

"You see, Doll, the thing about love is that it works both ways." Nathan scowled. "You eat when you get back."

"Nathan," she started.

"Doll," he glared at her.

"Fine." She relented, smiling when she saw the fake anger make his eyes smolder. She got back on the bed to kiss him on the lips, her lips lingering a moment too long. He sighed when she got up.

She walked to the door, and Nathan protested. "Come back here, Doll. Oh, while I'm 'sick'," he rolled his eyes, "can you put the red dress on for me again?"

"Maybe tomorrow night when you feel better."

"I get to play with my Doll now?" Hope and amusement made his eyes light up.

"You can dress me any way you want." She was abruptly happy that he felt well enough to tease her. She crawled back on the bed, narrowing her eyes. "But to dress me, you'd have to undress me first."

Nathan flushed, and his eyes smolder brighter. "Go leave quickly before I chase after you."

Azalea pretended to sigh in disappointment and twisted the doorknob. She turned back to blow a kiss at him before she closed the door behind her.

After leaving the palace, she realized that she had no idea where the herbs grew. _Damn._ She walked up blindly to one of the vendors, not sure what to say. The vendor turned to her, and in the gloom Azalea could see that he had brown eyes. "Good evening, do you have valerian and passionflower at your stall by any chance?"

"Hi, Azalea." It was Matthew. She took a step back to hurry away, but Matthew held up a hand. "Wait." He walked from around his stall until he was right in front of her.

"What is it, Matthew?" She stood there, not sure whether she should listen to him. The village was quiet. It was sprinkling, and most of the Kingdom was inside their homes.

"Let me apologize for my behavior for two nights ago, and the night when I hurt you. I'm very deeply-"

Azalea bit her lip, letting him ramble on. A few words caught her attention. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

A strange relief filled Matthew's eyes when he realized she was listening. "I said that Jacob told me you had a little girl. Is she okay? Can I meet her?"

Azalea shook her head, sadness filling her when she thought of Ava. "She's. . . She died." She flung herself to him, new tears wetting her face. "Why would you want to meet her? She didn't look anything like you or me!"

Matthew was shocked when he caught her in his arms. "How did she die?"

"She died when she was born. She was born too early or. . ." Azalea bit back sobs. "I loved her and I didn't even know who her father was."

Matthew bit his lip. "I think I was her father."

"What makes you say that?" She pulled away, wiping at her eyes with her hands. Matthew handed her a handkerchief.

"The day before Rosemary moved, she threatened to kill me. It was an empty threat of course, but then I knew that something had happened. I saw a pink rocking chair on the outside of your home, I guess you were selling it, am I correct?" He looked down at her, his eyes growing sad when she nodded, "I built the conclusion by myself."

Azalea let one sob escape. "No one bought it. I still have it."

Matthew smiled a little. "I'm sorry for. . .Our loss?"

"We both lost a pretty baby. She had my hair."

"What do you mean? She was blond?" Matthew asked.

"Before I turned three, my hair was as dark as my mother's. Pasley said that I looked like a midnight goddess." Azalea laughed a little at the thought of her deceased neighbor. "But it turned blond afterwards. Ava looked so pretty with the little dark curls. . ." She bit her lip harder, drawing blood. She burrowed her head in Matthew's chest.

Matthew put one hand on her back to hold her there. When her sobs finally ebbed away, she realized how close she was to Matthew. She pulled away awkwardly. "Sorry."

"It's fine." Matthew looked at her. "You looked like you needed to cry when I saw you."

Azalea shook her head, and then stared at him. "Do you have someone now? A nice guy like you, surely you'd be overwhelmed with beautiful women by now?"

Matthew sighed and started laughing. "I did find one. Her name is Rosalie." His eyes twinkled. "She's a pretty little girl, Azalea. She has red velvet hair. Would you like to see her?"

Azalea thought back to Nathan and ruefully shook her head. "No, I have Nathan waiting."

"Nathaniel Valor Keen," Matthew whistled. "You and him tying the knot, eh?"

"I beg your pardon?"

Matthew blinked. "I saw him at. . . You guys seem close." He looked away for a moment.

She nodded, unsure about what he had just said. Where had he seen Nathan? "Pretty close."

Matthew looked back at his vendor and grabbed a handful of leaves. He put them in a fabric bag before handing it to her. "When's your birthday?"

Why was he trying to change the subject? "It's in a month or so." She grabbed the bag, and then looked for a gold coin in one of her pockets. "How much will it be?"

"Free of charge." Matthew walked from his vendor to bow in front of her. "Have a nice night."

She curtsied back, smiling. As she walked away from him, she thought she heard him say, "Bye, Azalea Keen."

Azalea walked into the room, her eyes searching Nathan's face. His eyes were closed and he seemed to be breathing evenly. "Nathan?" Was he asleep?

Nathan's eyes blinked open. They focused dazedly on her. "Hey, Doll. I just about fell asleep."

"Here," she climbed on the bed. She rubbed the herbs together in the bag and opened it for him to smell. Relief and wooziness flooded his eyes and he laid his head back down. She pulled the covers on top of him.

"Thanks, Azal." He ruffled her hair with his hand, his eyelids drooping.

She kissed his nose, closing the bag again. "No problem, Nat." She put the bag by the tray and grabbed her bowl of soup. She wet a cloth in the basin after she ate and took her post by the foot of the bed.

She wiped at her face when she got sleepy.

Nathan mumbled, his eyes peeking open. "Come over here." Was he sleep talking? His eyes drifted close again.

She crawled on the yellow bedspread, abandoning the cloth. She kissed his cheek, watching his chest rise and fall with each breath he took.

She eventually fell asleep, dreaming.

Azalea was dancing in the ballroom, by herself. Bright afternoon light floods the ballroom and warms her skin. She closed her eyes as she twirled and hands grab hers.

She opened her eyes to see Nathan's laughing green eyes. He was wearing his deep blue vest with lighter blue sleeves. His black boots made no sound as they glided across the floor. She looked down at what she was wearing, expecting to find herself in her gray dress, but instead finds herself dressed in a very familiar peach gown, her stomach looking plump.

She looked back up at him, stunned. He smiled crookedly at her, his eyes beginning to smolder, and then she felt tiny hands grabbing at the edge of her gown. She glanced down and saw four little faces, all identical to her face or Nathan's face. One face even looked like Alex.

She scooped up a child, looking back at Nathan. "We have four children?"

"Six." Nathan put a hand on her belly.

She started laughing, and she rolled over on the bed in her sleep. "Six children? What are their names?"

"Does it matter? Six little babies to call our own." Nathan leaned in for a kiss.

"Nathan Valor Keen, you are _such_ a bastard." Jacob's voice rang out all around them. The babies started screaming and as they stagger away on little toddling legs, they vanish in puffs of smoke.

"No!" Azalea's scream was lost up in the sound of the crackling of flames. She looked up from watching her children vanish to see them in the Stables. Nathan's head was in her lap and smoke clouded her vision.

She saw Matthew's body lying in the corner of the stables, and as the roof began to buckle and she opened her mouth to scream again, her eyes flew open.

She sat up, her heart and lungs aching. Her children had screamed in such terror-

She swallowed and exhaled a gust of relief. _It was just a dream_, she said to herself. Still, she looked at her belly and put a hand on it, just thinking of the babies. One had looked like Alex.

Some children looked like their grandparents, or had some of their features. That wasn't what had bothered her.

Azalea looked at Nathan, praying that he was still asleep. Nathan hadn't stirred at all. He sighed in his sleep, and was otherwise very quiet.

Anxiety and fear of falling asleep to see her babies run and the stables fall on them made her stay awake. She sat on the bed, watching Nathan sleep peacefully, aching to join him in his dream that she could only assume was better than hers.


	87. Similar Dreams

Chapter Eighty Seven **Nathan's Point of View**

Nathan opened his eyes to see Azalea, deep asleep. He stared at her contented face and smiled. She finally slowed down after all. Nathan groaned as he sat up, pushing up with one of his hands. He glanced down quickly at Azalea's face to see if he had woken her, then slowly got to his feet.

Once upright, Nathan realized that the candles had gone out. He wobbled over to the washroom, and when he was done, he washed his hands, peering back into the bedroom. Azalea was still asleep.

Nathan thought back to his dream, wincing when he remembered the little babies scream. Seeing them vanish in puffs of smoke made him wince, and he could still feel the heat from the fire.

He left the room silently, leaving the door cracked open. He headed into the Dining Hall, just to see who was awake. Eugene, Adam, Guy, Dwayne, David, and Liam were all sitting down. Eugene and David had bandages on their heads and David was taking his off with wounded precision. Alex was sitting in the seat across from Liam with his leg elevated on another chair. The cast was lying on the floor.

"Shouldn't you put it back on?" Nathan asked, his voice hoarse from sleep. They all looked up from their picked over food. Eugene smiled.

"Hey, Nat." Dwayne saluted him. "Azalea asleep?"

"More like knocked out." Nathan frowned as he sat across from Adam. "She overworked herself."

Eugene was nodding. "Rapunzel did it as well. She managed to fall on the bed, but she's out cold."

Adam smirked. "Women and their worrying."

"How's the wound?" David looked at Adam worriedly. "No pain, no gain, but that was a lot of pain."

"Rapunzel fixed me up." Adam shrugged, wincing. "It doesn't hurt much."

Nathan's side was flaring. Guy looked at Nathan and asked, "So when is it?"

"When's what?" Nathan rubbed his eyes, stifling a yawn. He must have slept for a long time, but how was he still tired?

Liam scowled. "The big question, Nathan. When is it?"

Nathan blinked. They weren't making sense. Then it hit him. "Right on her birthday."

Eugene sighed in relief. "Phew; you worried me for a second there. I was beginning to think Michael knocked a screw loose."

They laughed somberly. David looked at Alex. "Where is our lovely bastard anyways?"

Alex sipped his tea, his brown eyes thinking. "You all saw him arrested, right?" They nodded. "I think he's being put on trial for it."

"Why?" Nathan asked. "I mean. . . Well, he got close, but he didn't kill anyone."

Adam rolled his eyes. "Michael's lost it." Sadness filled his eyes.

Alex nodded. "It would appear so. Michael did say something about Jacob though. Eugene, would you come with me to see him?"

"He's awake?" Eugene stood up. "The herbs wore off?"

"Herbs?" Liam blinked. He looked at his friends then Alex. "He didn't struggle."

"He asked for them to help him sleep." Alex explained. He slowly pulled his elevated leg back, and stood up. He grabbed the cane by his side and hobbled to the Dining Hall door. "We'll see y'all later?" Eugene followed Alex out.

"Count on it." Guy nibbled on his chicken. It was past midnight, and Nathan sighed. "What's wrong, Nathan?"

"Jacob's getting more and more of a problem." Nathan looked at his bruised knuckles. "If he's behind this, then he tried to kill us all at once. We need to find him soon."

Liam bobbed his head in agreement, wincing. "The wanted papers haven't been helping." He frowned. "How do we draw him out?" They all looked at Dwayne, who was busy sipping his cooling tea. Dwayne set his cup down.

"Jacob is almost undetectable when he wants to be hidden." Dwayne's eyes seemed to darken in color.

Guy groaned. "I just keep hoping that one day he'll pop out. One of us will happen to holding a sword, and then we kill that bastard!" He put his head in his hands. "Damn it. It'd too good to be true."

David laughed. "Just a little bit, Guy. Just a little." He pinched the air. "Like this much? Is that right, Liam?"

Liam nodded, and then scowled. "Go to bed. We all need to go back to sleep."

Nathan stood up, flinching at the flare in his side. "I'll see you guys." He waved, and then slowly found his way back to the bedroom.

Azalea was still asleep, and he laid down next to her, struggling to pull the comforters back on him. He bit back a yelp when his arm brushed against his bruised ribs, and laid down slowly.

He looked at Azalea's peaceful face, and stroked it softly with her fingers. What do women do that make their skin so soft?

Nathan bumps into a warm body, his eyes searching for Azalea. He looks down, and sees that she was the person he had bumped into. Her lips look unusually plump, and Nathan wants to kiss them.

The shock at slamming into him fades when she sees who he is. Her pretty greenish gray eyes glow when they see him. He smiles at her. "Hey, Doll. Care to dance with me?"

She gets up on her tip-toes and leans against him, the tip of her crown gently prodding his temple. "My first and last dances are yours, Nat."

Nathan backs away from a spinning couple, and he feels his eyes glow. "Good to hear."

Azalea Keen. The words tasted sweet.

The crook of her neck is so soft. Nathan nibbles on it, almost picturing himself biting into a strawberry. The perfume emanating from her skin makes her smell like the sweetest fruit-

"Nathan!"

Her voice, the moan that grabbed his attention. "Hm?" He can hardly respond, the ache inside him beginning to burn as it made itself more pronounced.

"My. . . My turn."

He almost protests, his lips not wanting to move. He manages to lay down with her on top, his head spinning at the smell of her sweet perfume and his spicy cologne mixing in the room.

He stares up at her, in awe. Her skin is a delicate pink that grew darker every second. It makes her greenish gray eyes seem more of both colors that were bubbling with the need –the need that he was now assured that they both felt- and excitement. Her lips form a smile when she bends down to kiss him.

He moans when her hands begins to move to his chest as they kissed, and his hands finds their way to her waist to push her against him.

They somehow start rolling on the bed, alternating with her on top and him on top. Eventually, Nathan finds himself sitting up with her on his lap.

They bend in for a kiss, and Azalea's legs wrap around his waist and she pushes herself even tighter to his body. Nathan fights to breathe, the need growing fiercer and fiercer with each passing second.

"Dolls are meant to play with, Nathan Valor Keen."

_Damn._ Nathan exhales a breath through his mouth and then he is on top of her again.

The memory slowly turned into a dream.

Someone knocked on the door. Nathan looked up, expecting it to be Olivia, but instead a tiny child opened the door. She stared up at them.

"Mother, I can't sleep."

Azalea's pink face turned even pinker –the color was so lovely- and she sat up to grab the girl as she jumped on the bed to them. "What's wrong, baby?"

"There's a man in the house." The little girl whimpered. "A scary man, Mother. He hurt Nate. Father, he said he's going to get you."

The girl put her hand on Azalea's belly. "He said he's going to hurt me too. And he's going to get rid of Tanner."

Nathan went icy cold, which was startling because he had been so hot a few moments ago. "Its fine, darling. The man isn't real."

"Quite the contrary." Jacob stood in the doorway. The little girl screamed, and then they were in the stables. Azalea clutched the girl closer, sobs building in her throat.

Nathan stared at Jacob, hate making his blood simmer. He turned back to the girl in Azalea's arms, ready to comfort them both, only to see that Azalea was holding wisps of smoke. She looked down at the dissipating smoke in her hands and started crying.

Nathan glanced back up at Jacob only to feel a glass bottle hit him on the head. Azalea screamed, "Nathan!" He managed to look up and see her shackled to one of the walls.

"Azalea, no!" He yelled, but then darkness hit him like a punch in the face.

Nathan sat up, feeling cold. He stared at Azalea's sleeping body, and was amazed when her eyes blinked open. She sat up, and looked at him.

"Nathan!" Azalea wrapped his arms in a hug. Sobs escaped her body, and Nathan's arms folded themselves around her. "Nathan!"

"It's all right, Azalea." Nathan soothed her, rocking her back and forth in his arms even though his side was beginning to burn. The wound had closed, but it was still very much in the healing process. "Everything's okay," he wiped the tears away with kisses.

Azalea nodded shakily, and inhaled a deep breath. "I. . . I had a bad dream."

"What was it about?" Nathan grabbed her hand and stroked it with his fingers when she sat back against the post of the bed.

"We were in the stables, and I had a little girl in my arms." Azalea sniffled. "She just disappeared in smoke, and Jacob was there too." Her voice shook as she went on. "He hit your head with a bottle, then I must have blinked or

something, because then I was shackled to a wall."

Nathan felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise. It sounded exactly like his dream.

"Did you dream at all?" Azalea asked, wiping her eyes.

Nathan nodded, but kept it vague. "I dreamed that we were about to make love and a baby knocked on our door." He scowled playfully. "That pretty little girl ruined it."

Azalea laughed softly and kissed his nose. "Aw."

"When are we going to have children, Doll?" Nathan couldn't stop himself from asking. He blinked down at her, his other hand brushing back hair from her face. He had to distract her, and himself, from the nightmare that made his skin prickle with goose bumps.

Azalea blinked in thought. "We can have children any time." She bent in to kiss him.

"How many do you want?" Nathan pulled away for a moment.

"Six." Azalea giggled at something. Nathan thought to his first dream.

"We have four children?" Azalea is blinking in shock, her greenish gray eyes sparkling.

Nathan puts his hand on her stomach gently, feeling the smile on his face. "Six."

Nathan smiled around her lips. "Can I play with my Doll tomorrow?" He whined teasingly, looking at her stunning eyes.

Azalea winked at him. "Sure thing, Nat."

Nathan cleared his throat, smirking. "It's Nathan Valor Keen to you, Azalea Gothel Dixon. . ." He stopped himself from saying Azalea Gothel Dixon_ Keen_. He'd have to wait a month before he could say that. He probably would have to wait longer for them to start getting busy.

He kissed her 'goodnight'. She insisted on giving him more of the herbs, and Nathan didn't argue. The faster he healed, the sooner he could start planning. Azalea was going to be surprised in the upcoming weeks.

"Night, Nathan Valor. . ." He didn't stay awake long enough to hear her say 'Keen'.


	88. Arrival of the Stork

K*H*W* (go to my profile :)

* * *

><p><span>Chapter Eighty Eight<span>

I sat up, yawning. I stretched my arms, reaching for the sky, and then looked around the room. Eugene was gone, and his side of the bed was cold.

I was hyperventilating when I finally made it out of the room. I yanked open the door to the Dining Hall, looking around. Anna-Beth was making Dwayne eat pieces of buttered toast, and Olivia was urgently telling Guy to breathe shallowly so his chest wouldn't hurt as much.

Alex was being fussed over by Stephanie who kept washing his face with a wet cloth, and Diego was nibbling on his own piece of toast, looking around the room with miserable dark blue eyes.

Fernidia was giving Adam a back massage on the floor, ignoring his complaints, while Sarah was forcing Liam to drink his tea. Azalea and Nathan were sitting in their seats, looking almost normal, except for the fact that Azalea was sitting on Nathan's lap, playing with his hair.

Candace was pulling David into the room from the other door, forcing him into a chair. She flitted around the room, finding biscuits for him to eat. David turned green at the sight of the biscuits, but forced himself to eat one, a resigned look in his eyes.

Nathan was smiling, but something told me that Azalea had been harassing him much like all of my friends were to their husbands, betroths, and. . . I looked at Fernidia and Adam. They were courting all right.

My mother and father were staring at the scene unfolding with horrified eyes. Mother looked at Father, and they both watched my friends worry over their men wordlessly. They almost seemed afraid to speak up.

I almost didn't care at the moment. "Morning, all. Where's Eugene?"

Nathan looked at me and smiled. "He should be coming in any minute; he had tended to Maximus earlier."

Anna-Beth spoke, "Pascal's been looking for you." Anna looked at me, and then Azalea with anxious eyes. "Nathan, wasn't he with you when you went to the-"

"He should be around here somewhere." Nathan snuck an urgent look at Azalea.

Alex grumbled. "Stephanie, let me up."

"Your leg is-"

"It's healing now. Let me up." Alex muttered. "You're babying me. Look at you." He looked at all my friends with sharp eyes. "You're all fussing over your men. They're all fine!"

Azalea glared at him. "They're hurt."

Olivia looked at Guy, her bright blue eyes filled with fondness and worry. "We can't take care of them?"

Alex sighed. "We'll all just be in here, all right. Quit your fussing, we won't move an inch." He looked at Candace, Anna-Beth, and me. "Go get some more sleep, and if I see you three back in here, I'll knock you clear out."

I started, "Alex-"

Eugene walked in the room, the bandages removed from his head. He looked at me, saw the fury darken my face, and quickly took a step backwards. "Look, Blondie, I-"

"What are you doing moving?" I exclaimed. All the women in the room, except my mother, glared at Eugene, and then at the man they were taking care of. "You're not supposed to be up and about. You're hurt!"

David tried to get out of his chair. "Candace, I'm not hungry anymore." She grabbed him by the shoulder and forced him back down on the chair.

"You're going to eat all of this toast if I have to cram it down your throat!" She nearly shrieked. "Now eat!"

Liam threw David a horrified look and struggled to move away from Sarah. "Let me up."

"No! Drink it!" Sarah handed him the cup back. He put it back on the table and anger darkened her eyes. "Liam Pulcro Kilter, if you don't drink all of this tea. . ."

More protest filled the room. Adam tried to get off the floor, but Fernidia sat on him, enabling him immobile.

Nathan looked at Azalea, and gulped. He remained silent until Azalea got off his lap to get him some toast. He clambered to his feet, and yelled, "Run!"

The men quickly squirmed away from my friends and they all hurried to the door. Eugene lingered for a moment, and then he quickly followed them. Alex was gone as well, and my mother and father were watching us carefully.

The entire room was quiet. I sat down next to Anna-Beth, joined by Candace, Fernidia, and Azalea. Olivia stared down at the purple tablecloth.

"Girls?" My mother asked. She should have stayed silent.

Anna-Beth screamed. "When I find him, I am _not_ letting him out of my sight!"

Sarah looked infuriated. "Ladies, pack up some food. It's hunting time."

Fernidia giggled once, but otherwise we were completely serious. Stephanie was muttering curses under her breath as she began to wrap up fruit and bread in the lavender napkins. Olivia looked at Anna-Beth, who had gone quiet.

My father warned us, "Find them, but please don't kill them."

I led the way out of the Dining Hall, after the warning. We all peeked in Azalea's room, then Fernidia's, and Anna's. Anna-Beth was huffing as she followed us and looked pale.

"I don't know where they could be." Azalea admitted after we had searched all the numerous bedrooms. Candace frowned and I groaned.

Azalea saw a golden circle laced with different colored diamonds on Anna-Beth's finger. "What's that?"

"An engagement ring."

I squealed and jumped up and down. "You're engaged and you never told me?" I exploded.

"It's been busy the last couple of days-"

"Dwayne proposed to you _days_ ago?" Olivia shrieked. "Now I've got to kill him. I would have loved to see your reaction."

Anna sniffled. "I didn't do much. I just cried."

"And I missed those happy tears!" Azalea despaired. I could see longing in her pretty eyes, and Fernidia's blue eyes brightened as they unfocused. Adam and Nathan needed to move faster.

"Where are they?" Fernidia brought us back to our search. I shrugged, and we decided to search the square.

Anna bit her lip as she followed us into town. "You okay?" I asked her, puzzled by the distress that was slowly filling her eyes.

She shook her dark brown head. "Not really."

"What's wrong?" Olivia looked at Anna-Beth, worry beginning to shine in her eyes. She looked at where one of Anna's hands were: on her belly. Anna started breathing hard, her skin beginning to turn red.

Fear filled Anna-Beth's green eyes. "Nothing's _wrong_."

"Then what is it?"

No one was prepared for Anna's question.

"Tell me, what do birthing cramps feel like?"

**Nathan's Point of View**

"Why the hell did we run?" Liam asked, sinking down into a chair. They were at the tavern, and Alex was wincing when he eased into his seat.

"Nathan said the word," Eugene smiled and nudged Nathan. "Thanks for that. You saved us all."

David grinned. "Hell yes, he did."

Guy sipped his tea. "I can't believe I'm getting married."

Dwayne nodded. "It is an odd experience."

They all sat up, looking at Dwayne with wide eyes.

"What?"

"What the hell. . . You did it already?" Nathan blinked hard.

Liam groaned. "Damn it. Why couldn't you have waited?"

Dwayne scowled. "I love her, why the hell would I wait?"

Alex slapped his hand to his forehead. "Dwayne. . ." He looked at the others and Nathan. "Congratulations!" He broke into a bright smile, punching Dwayne lightly in the shoulder.

Dwayne smiled, and Nathan could see the man that Azalea and Anna-Beth had fallen for. "Thank you, Alex."

"You've proposed to that foxy thing?" Nathan looked up to see Alec standing next to Liam, who was rubbing his bruised cheek.

Nathan couldn't stop the frown that crossed his face. He didn't like Alec, not for what he did to Azalea. He forced a kind face on anyways. "Hi, Alec."

"Hey, Nat." Like they were friends. Nathan bit his tongue to keep himself from punching the daylights out of Alex's younger brother. "Damn, Alex what happened to you?"

Alex looked at his younger brother with a dry look. "Well, when you get old, you start falling apart." Alex abruptly glared at Alec. "You leave that girl alone, you hear?"

"What girl?" Alec put his hands up. Everyone else sat up, unaccustomed to seeing Alex's mean side. "I don't know who you're talking about."

Alex's glare was ice cold, like staring at a tree caught up in a winter frost. He got up slowly, and gestured for Alec to follow him. Unfortunately they were still in earshot of Nathan and his friends. "Leave Azalea alone."

"Why would I leave _her_ alone?" Alec blustered. "She was a pretty little thing, before Jacob got to her. She was too good to be true, Alex. And I'll tell you this, if I had known getting her drunk would have made her so _easy_, I would have done it so much sooner." His words made Nathan's blood begin to boil. He almost hated Alec more than he hated Jacob.

David looked at Nathan, watching his eyes narrow dangerously. "Nathan, he's being a bastard, don't listen to him-"

Alec sighed. "She was such a treat, Alex. She hardly fought if you ask me. Well, then again I exercise so she could have been trying all she could and I still would have gotten her. Her screams were delicious-"

Nathan stood up so fast, seeing red, as the rage grabbed control of him. His fist connected harshly with Alec's face, and the entire tavern went quiet. "You filthy bastard!" Nathan roared. Alec fell down and Nathan began kicking him. "Leave her alone, or I'm going to kill you! You never should have even met her! I swear to God, I will kill you if you ever give her so much as a goddamn look-"

Dwayne yanked Nathan away, only to kick Alec in the ribs. "Damn it, Alec! Piss off and go to hell!"

Liam and Guy pulled them both away, and out of the tavern. The tavern burst into a combination of laughing and confused whispers.

Nathan burst out laughing, his side aching. "Thank you, Dwayne."

Dwayne grinned and saluted Nathan. "No problem, Nat."

"Congratulations, by the way." Nathan smiled. Dwayne nodded, his chestnut brown hair shining in the dim sun. It was past noon now, but still very cloudy from the day before.

"Nathan!" Nathan looked up to see Rapunzel calling him. The expression on her face stunned them all for a moment, and then they were running to her.

"What's happened?" Guy demanded, Liam on his heels. David skidded behind Nathan, nearly knocking him over.

Rapunzel's green eyes were wide with distress and wonder. What was she marveling about? "It's Anna-Beth."

"Oh, damn. Is she okay?" Rapunzel didn't try to correct Dwayne on his language. To Nathan's surprise and dismay, she didn't answer Dwayne. She turned around and quickly hurried to the palace.

"What's wrong with her?" Alex asked as he hobbled past Nathan to slow Rapunzel down. "Is she all right?"

A hand grabbed Nathan's and he looked to his right to see Azalea. "Why won't you tell us what's going on?" He demanded, worrying for his younger sister and Dwayne.

Azalea shook her head at him, and he saw it too, in her eyes: wonder. What was going on?

The two identical young maidens led them to Anna-Beth's room. Rapunzel made Eugene, Liam, David, Guy, and Alex wait by the door. Azalea opened the door for Dwayne and Nathan. Rapunzel crept in after them, and closed the door behind her.

Anna was lying on the bed, pain on her face. She blinked hard, and tears flew from her eyes.

Dwayne's knees buckled as he walked to her. "What's wrong, Anna?"

"What were the names? Henry, Sebastian, T-T-" Anna choked back a cry and then Nathan was on his knees, crawling to her. She continued on, panting hard. "Thomas, and what was the last one?" Her face paled. "Lucas?"

Nathan blinked, confusion washing over him. "I beg your pardon?"

"The stork has arrived!" Rapunzel was beaming as she began to wipe Anna's face. Nathan looked at Fernidia and Olivia in puzzlement as they bounced around the room. Candace was getting fresh water for Rapunzel's cloth, and Sarah was busy searching drawers for linen.

"So which one?" Anna asked. "I need to know so I can call him by his name when I meet him." She gasped in pain. "I. . . I like Sebastian."

Dwayne kissed her cheek. "Sebastian it is."

Anna moaned, and Nathan almost wanted to punch the daylights out of Richard. He's going to fill Nathan's younger sister with a baby, leave her, and then not be with her while _she's having _his_ baby_? If Nathan ever saw Richard again, the man would be dead.

"Why did I let Richard give me a baby again?" Anna asked Nathan.

"Because the stork knew Dwayne would be here to take care of him."

"Damn, Nat. Your faith in me is so strong." Dwayne smiled, then his eyes darkened when Anna's face went paler. "Anything I can do?"

"I just want to hear a s-story. . . How did you and Nathan meet? Did you get along?"

Dwayne and Nathan exchanged glances. Azalea and Rapunzel were giggling at Anna-Beth's words. Azalea was massaging Anna's feet, coaxing her along.

"Nathan and I, we were good friends _after_ we were at the prisons." Dwayne said. "And now. . . Well, I'd say he'd be my best man."

"Damn, Dwayne. Your faith in me is so strong." Nathan mimicked him. Dwayne scowled playfully, and stroked Anna's hand.

"Sebastian, you're hurting Mother." Dwayne said to Anna's belly. Anna swatted him away with a gentle hand.

"Don't tell him that!" She cried. "He'll feel like a monster."

"He doesn't mean it, of course." Dwayne allowed.

"Dwayne Terco Pinkerton Fernando-"

"Anna-Beth Lei Keen," Dwayne stuck his tongue out at her, making Anna laugh. Nathan rolled his eyes, joining in with the rest of the room.

Anna-Beth and Dwayne.

The two were made for each other.


	89. Mood Swings

Chapter Eighty Nine **Eugene's Point of View**

He stared at Michael through the iron bars. Even though Michael hadn't protested in his arrest, his hands were tied behind his back with rope. His cheeks were dirty, and red clay clumped in his blond hair.

"Michael?" Eugene dared to grab his friend's attention. Michael looked up, and Eugene nearly flinched back, expecting to see the murderous look in his eyes that Eugene had seen the last time he had saw Michael. Michael's eyes were clear, and puzzlement made them shine.

"Eugene." Michael said. He looked around the cage, and a frown darkened his face. "I finally got out of a cage, only to be put in the prisons." He smiled up at the sky. "Nice move."

Eugene crouched down in front of Michael's cell. The prisoners were out, probably still eating at the check-in, and though it was past midnight, Eugene could see Michael's face vividly. "What happened to you?" Eugene demanded softly.

Michael smiled a rueful smile. "The important question is 'Why did you attack us?', isn't it, Eugene?"

Eugene shook his head, resigned. "Why did you attack us?" Eugene's hazelish light brown eyes watched Michael's small movements.

"I didn't want to, if you'll believe that." Michael leaned forward. "Jacob Fernando is a good persuader." Michael stated.

"I don't understand."

Michael shook his head in agitation. "You knew, Eugene. Good job."

Alex was sitting against the wall by the door, and quiet snores filled the room. Eugene thought back to Jacob, and then to his brother Dwayne. He remembered that Anna was in childbirth, and breathed quick prayer under his breath before he went back to the topic.

"Jacob hypnotized you?"

"He learned it from the best." Michael smirked. "Adam and I are the magicians of Corona, Eugene. I've been practicing hypnotism since I was young, and Jacob somehow managed to copy me, the bastard."

Eugene looked at Michael and stared into his clear eyes, concentration on his face. Michael _seemed_ like himself. The ghostly impersonator was gone, maybe for good. How would they test him?

"Tell me, am I going to be put on trial?" Michael asked, and a fleck of fear dimmed his eyes.

"I hope not." Eugene said honestly. "I'll see if I can get the king down here to talk to you. Maybe it won't even come to a trial announcement."

Michael shrugged, and stood up stiffly, stretching his hands out. "I'll be here, then." Despair mingled with the fear. Eugene's muscles tightened at the rapid display of emotions. Whatever Jacob had done to the hypnotist, it had made him close up into an emotionless ghost. Now that Michael was free, he was having mood swings.

"Tell Fernidia that I'm glad she has Adam." A tender smile chased away the fear and despair for a moment.

Eugene smiled as well. "You knew, huh?"

"I was in a cage but I wasn't blind." Michael grinned. "If Adam decides to propose to her, tell him I'm all right with it."

Eugene thought back to the bachelor night. "I bet Adam on pickpocketing about thirty people."

"Who won?"

"I did, of course."

Michael started laughing.

Eugene hadn't realized how much he missed Michael's laugh. "I put half of the coins in the fountain."

Michael smiled, but the despair was back. Eugene stood up, and smiled at Michael. "I'll give the rest to you when you get out."

Michael nodded. "Thanks, Eugene."

Eugene waved, and woke Alex up. Alex got to his feet and unlocked Michael's cell to take the ropes off his hands. Eugene bid them both a 'goodnight', and went to check on Anna-Beth.

"How long?" He asked when he reached the hallway that lead to Anna-Beth's room. Liam, David, and Dwayne were standing, leaning against the purple walls.

Dwayne looked tense. "About ten hours."

Eugene winced. "You holding up okay?"

"No," Liam answered for him. "He has wanted to beat the hell out of Nathan and Azalea."

Dwayne groaned. "They can be in there with her, and I can't? Where the hell is my damn justice?"

David patted Dwayne on the shoulder. "She'll be fine, Dwayne. The head was crowning when I popped in. Azalea's caught up in a swoon though. She's been working too hard."

"Is she inside?" Eugene frowned.

"On Anna's other side, yes." Liam said. "Anna's only eight months and two weeks. What triggered it early?"

Dwayne looked abruptly guilty. "Probably yelling at us."

Eugene went somber, then perked up. "At least you get to see him early. Rapunzel still has two more weeks left."

"You're going to want to be drunk while waiting, Eugene." Dwayne grumbled. "It's hell."

Eugene nodded. "No doubt there."

They waited in a comfortable silence. Eugene thought back to the baby names, and looked at Dwayne. "Figured out a middle name yet?"

Dwayne shook his head. "I've been thinking Luz."

"I like that." Liam smiled. In several books with baby names in them, there have been middle names in different languages. Luz meant light. Eugene's one middle name meant beloved. Rapunzel's meant beautiful.

Dwayne smiled, and the wait continued.

* * *

><p>Around thirteen hours of waiting, the door opened. It was Stephanie, and she had a bright look in her eyes. Dwayne broke into a grin, and he hurried in the room.<p>

Eugene and the others waited for Dwayne to come out. He was holding a little bundle swathed in a blue blanket.

"Sebastian, meet the guys." Dwayne smiled. Nathan crept out from behind him, and strained to see Anna's child. Sebastian had Anna's cheekbones and lips. Dark brown curls were on Sebastian's head, and his eyes blinked open for a moment. Sebastian burped, and Liam started chuckling.

"Hi, Sebastian." David gently grabbed one of the baby's hands, and Sebastian pulled David's fingers to his mouth. David pulled away gently, and Sebastian hiccupped.

Nathan's eyes were sparkling when Dwayne handed Sebastian to him. He looked down at the baby, and Eugene could see that by the way Nathan held him securely in his hands that Nathan would be a good father. Nathan's lips formed a warm smile, and Eugene saw Sebastian's hands reached for Nathan's chin.

They followed him back in the room. Olivia and Fernidia were standing at the foot of the bed, and Rapunzel was wiping Anna's fevered face with a cloth. Stephanie waved them in, and Eugene smiled at Anna-Beth. "He's beautiful." Anna smiled back weakly, her skin red and her eyes tired.

Azalea was laying on the bed face-up, and her eyes blinked open. She sat up, looking around wildly. "Did I miss him?"

Olivia nudged Azalea from where she was standing. "No, you didn't. He's right there."

Azalea cooed as Nathan handed Sebastian back to Anna-Beth. She looked down at her friend's child, and a breathtaking smile lit her face.

"He's adorable!" Rapunzel squealed. "Now I want Anora and Flynn here." She pouted.

Eugene blinked at the names, but shrugged. He congratulated Dwayne, patted Nathan on the back, and kissed Anna's hand.

He left the room, feeling tired after the talk with Michael, the struggle before the talk, and waiting for Sebastian's birth. Rapunzel followed him out the room, after bidding everyone 'goodnight'. She was looking ready to fall down and sleep as well.

Once in their room, Eugene helped her get into her nightgown, and lie down. He dressed in cotton shorts, and laid down on the bed with her.

Eugene looked at his wife, blinking. "So it'll be Anora Sunni, and Flynn. . ."

Rapunzel looked down. "What if we changed Felix to Damien?"

"So Flynn Damien Fiztherbert, and Anora Sunni Fitzherbert?" It sounded perfect.

Rapunzel kissed his nose. "We had to name the boy Flynn."

Eugene smiled, and thanked God for Sebastian's safe birth and for the beautiful woman lying next to him.

"I like it."

"Good to hear, because I ran out of name ideas."

They both smiled.


	90. A Deal

Chapter Ninety _Azalea's Point of View_

She made Nathan lie down. He didn't protest at all, only slightly roll his eyes.

She leaned in to kiss him 'goodnight', and closed her eyes next to him. Azalea was afraid to sleep, but she drifted off.

She was lying down on her back, staring up at the ceiling. She looked around the tiny sunlit room, confused at where she was. Azalea sat up, confused at the vases of white tulips and –her favorite flowers- red poppy roses. She saw paint on the purple walls of golden sun flower patterns. The one window in the room had white curtains that were flooding with morning light.

A breath on her ear made her head whip to the side. Nathan was sitting up, his bare chest dewy. "Mornin', Azal."

She looked at Nathan's sparking green eyes, her own beginning to charge with the love that lingered in the air. It was intangible, but she could almost feel it radiating from their skin.

"Morning, Nathan." She looked down to find yellow sheets covering up her bare chest and body. "What's happened?"

"I believe our honeymoon has happened," Nathan smiled. He bent in for a sparking kiss, and her body begins to shake. _Honeymoon?_

Her arms drop the sheets and find their way around Nathan's neck. She pulled him closer to her, moaning in bliss when his lips find the crook of her neck.

"Nathan," Azalea started, but her mouth stopped forming the words. She moaned into his bare chest. The sun felt warm on her skin and she was panting from Nathan's pleasant abuse.

"Doll, are you okay?"

"Um, can I have your children?" Azalea wrapped her arms around Nathan's body. "Can I have all of them?"

Nathan started chuckling around her lips. "They're are yours, but what brought this on?"

"What brought it on was the fact that I love you, Nathan Valor Keen," Azalea gasped. "Let me have them all, Nathan." Azalea couldn't believe the words tumbling from her lips. She wanted Nathan's children, more than she had ever wanted anything in the world. More than she wanted her own mother to come home when she could, and more than she had wanted to find one of Rosemary's letters on the floor in front of her front door when she came home.

"Azalea, hold on. We've just woken up-"

"I want your babies!" Azalea cried. "Give them to me."

"Azalea, I'd love to." Nathan kissed her fully on the lips. "But we just made love last night, I think."

"Nathan, please?" She grabbed both sides of his face with both of her hands. Azalea pulled him in for a deep kiss.

Nathan's quiet moan was all she needed to hear. He pushed his lips against hers more urgently, and love began to make the room brighter. Azalea gasped when he begins to move; the feeling was familiar, but it was unfamiliar at the same time.

Nathan and Azalea saw the stars above them with moans. She pulled his face to hers again, and she could feel herself beginning to melt into Nathan. Nathan exhaled his breath in one coo, and then the stars were bubbling and exploding at once.

"Azalea!" Olivia shook her awake. She groaned, still feeling Nathan dance beside, around, and inside her. "Wake up, Azalea!"

She pried her eyes open, looking for Nathan. He was standing by the door next to David. Olivia had a shaken look on her face and Candace was waiting near Azalea's side with a filled basin of cold water.

Candace exhaled a breath of relief. "You didn't have any of the herb stuff last night, did you?"

"No," Azalea rubbed sleep out of her eyes. "Why are you all in here?"

David explained, "Nathan couldn't wake you up. I couldn't either, so we found Candace and Olivia."

Azalea sat up, and everything blurred. "I'm awake now. Is it noon yet?" She peered at the pale yellow curtains, unsure of what the dim light filtering in the room meant.

"It's a little past dawn." Olivia looked at Nathan, who was staring at Azalea with shock still in his green eyes. "We'll go, now that everything's all right. See you in the Dining Hall?"

Nathan nodded, "Sure."

When they left, he sat down on the bed with her. Nathan's eyes abruptly started twinkling. "What did you dream about?"

Azalea blushed and looked down. Nathan blinked. "Can't tell me?"

"It's embarrassing." She felt more heat rise in her face.

"I liked my dream, if you want to know." Nathan wrapped one arm around her, looking at the light growing in the room. "We had woken up from making love the night before. You asked for babies, and I said 'yes'."

Azalea looked up at him. "That's exactly how my dream went." More or less.

"Oh really?" Nathan smiled. He bent down to nuzzle her cheek. "So what did we do?"

"We made love," she crawled onto his lap, facing him. "And it was damn passionate, Nathan."

Nathan's smile went brighter. "That's how I remembered it."

They kissed for a few moments, the ache beginning to make their lips move faster and more urgent, when a knock sounded on the door.

Anna opened it. Her eyes spotted them tangled on the bed and she squealed. "What are you guys doing?"

"Nothing!" they both scooted off of each other. Anna-Beth was giggling.

"Aw, Nathan." She squeaked. "Don't eat her for dinner!"

Azalea blushed and tried to change the subject. "Why are you walking so soon?" Anna had just given birth last night!

Anna frowned. "Trust me, I don't want to be walking. I'm dying for a nap right now, but Stephanie insisted that I move around so I don't get stiff. Dwayne's holding Sebastian." A smile crossed her face, and Azalea realized that Anna was off in a world that she could only hope to be in. She swallowed the strange feeling that began to churn in her stomach, and smiled.

"Sebastian's adorable, Anna." Azalea felt soreness in the crook of her neck where Nathan's lips had been.

Anna nodded eagerly. "He looks a little like Richard, and that's okay. I like to think that those are Dwayne's curls though."

Nathan smiled. "Where are those two lucky fellows anyways?"

"In the Dining Hall." Anna staggered to the bed and sat down next to them. "Dwayne's a great father. He's going to be my 'caretaker'." She laughed at the word.

Azalea swiftly remembered Dwayne's sentence, and smiled. A husband was basically a caretaker, and since Dwayne had proposed and Anna accepted, the trial sentence basically sealed the deal.

Azalea got up to change, and Anna-Beth promised to meet them in the Dining Hall. When she came out in her trademark gray gown, Nathan was still sitting on the bed.

"What is it, Nat?"

Nathan looked at her, his messy black hair hanging over his green eyes. He brushed it aside and she could see that apprehension shone in the green irises. "We've been sharing dreams for the past two nights now. I don't think that's a normal occurrence."

Azalea thought back to the first dream, when they were surrounded by four children. "Maybe it has something to do with _The Story of the Moon_?"

Nathan frowned. "Michael got to tell you it first. That would have been a great story to go to sleep with."

Azalea pouted. "Sorry, Nathan." She missed Michael's brown eyes. She missed his jokes, and his playful boldness.

"Are you okay, though, Doll?" Nathan asked her, his eyes staring into hers. "You slept hard last night."

"I did faint." Azalea flinched at the memory. She had been running to the washroom to get a bigger cloth for Rapunzel, and her vision started blurring. She walked back into the room, and everything had spun so fast that she saw darkness.

"I know, but it took me ages to realize that you weren't waking up." Nathan stood up to hold her hands. "It made me panic, because I thought something had happened to you."

"Nathan, I'm all right." Azalea kissed his cheek, stepping up on her tip-toes. "It's been a busy past few days."

Nathan started chuckling suddenly. "We keep dreaming about babies and fire. What does that mean?"

She shrugged. Nathan then went to the washroom to change, and had insisted that she should wait on the bed. She played with her hair while waiting, braiding it down her back.

When Nathan walked out, his face was pale. She stood up immediately. "What is it?"

"I think I opened it again." He blew out a painful breath through his teeth.

She pulled away his trademark deep blue vest and gently moved his shirt up. The wound was indeed open again, though she could see it healing around the edges. She bit her healing lip and softly righted his shirt. "It has opened up," she mumbled.

"Damn." Nathan cursed. He kissed the top of his trembling head. "Don't worry about it, Azal."

"Don't worry about it?" Azalea pulled away. "You might start bleeding again." Her eyes widened at the thought.

Nathan pulled her to the Dining Hall, ignoring her protests at him moving so fast. He opened the door, and looked at the Dining Hall.

Anna was surrounded by young maidens, who all were peering at Sebastian with adoration on her eyes. Dwayne looked as happy as Anna, though not as tired. Liam and Sarah were smiling. Sarah was feeding Sage a biscuit with honey on it. Liam said something to her that made her laugh, the previous day's tension forgotten.

Adam and Fernidia were feeding each other grapes, and Eugene was dripping honey on Rapunzel's fingers, licking it off with his 'smolder' on his face. Rapunzel's face was glowing pink.

Sage looked up at her and pointed, "There she is! Azalea," He dragged out the last _a_ in her name. She smiled and waved at him. "Nathan, Father said get a move on!" His blue-gray eyes were excited.

She looked at Nathan, her eyebrows arching. "Get a move on with what?"

Sage bubbled, "Engage-" Liam shoved a biscuit in his open mouth. Sage pulled it out and tried again. "Engage-" Liam grabbed Sage's hand and pushed it in.

"Sage, don't you love the honey?" Liam asked his son, who was trying not to choke.

Sage tried once more, "Nathan's going to engage-" Liam stuffed another biscuit in Sage's mouth.

"The honey is nice; I'm glad you like it so much."

Sarah began to ruffle Sage's hair. "How are you, dear?" She glanced at Azalea, who was beginning to blink with confusion, "You want more biscuits? All right, Liam keep feeding him."

Sage tried to get up but Liam fed him another biscuit. After a brief struggle, Sage gave up. Azalea looked at the two of them, then back at Nathan, who had sat down next to Adam.

Azalea ate with them, and then she went for a walk in town. She went inside her home to read more of Rosemary's letters. A wave of longing to see her red velvet haired friend made her get up.

Her feet carried her to the stables, and she ducked around a knight on his steed. He nodded at her, and she managed to nod back in surprise before she walked inside. She found the mare's stall, and was about to stroke her nose when a hand on her should made her jump.

"Hey, Azalea." She whipped around to see Matthew. She relaxed, and smiled.

"Hi, Matthew." Azalea glanced back at the mare.

Matthew opened the stall, and cooed to the gray horse. "Hi there, Mabel. How's Saul?"

"Saul?" Azalea couldn't stop herself from asking. She never would have guessed that Matthew had owned the mare.

"The foal," Matthew smiled at her hesitantly. She smiled back more warmly, and his grin grew bigger. "You want him?"

"What do you mean?" Bright spring sunlight lit golden brown strands on Matthew's air.

"I can't find anyone to buy him." Matthew paused in thought. "By the way, remember when I mentioned Rosalie the last time I saw you?" She nodded and he went on. "I'm going to need that rocking chair."

She started laughing and nodded. "So it's a deal?"

"Deal," Matthew shook her head formally.

"When will you get the chair?"

"Tomorrow, if that's all right."

She nodded. "That's fine."

Matthew led Mabel out by the stables' entrance, and then let her become more acquainted with Saul.

She stopped him while he was getting onto Mabel's back to give her some exercise. "What brought this on?"

"The fact that I hurt you," Matthew gazed at her, "I'm trying to make up for it."

"You don't have to make up for anything," Azalea could see the kindness in Matthew's eyes. Alec was a monster, like Jacob. Anyone could be tainted by the both of them. It was proved by Michael for Jacob, and proved by Matthew for Alec. Jacob and Alec were good persuaders. She wondered what made Matthew agree to Alec's idea that night.

"Yes, I do." Matthew shook his head. A breeze ruffled his brown hair, and when he smiled at her, she realized that he had dimples.

"Wait, one more thing." She sputtered. "Sorry if I'm holding you up or anything."

"No worries." Matthew said.

"What makes you think you're Ava's father?"

"Alec doesn't like having commitments. If Ava had lived, and I somehow knew she was around, I would have been there for the both of you."

"But how are you Ava's father?"

Matthew looked down for a moment. "I've always. . ." Matthew stopped, and then changed words. "Alec didn't care for you enough to stay put. Think of it like that."

She gazed up at him, and then blinked rapidly when he started to get off Mabel. Mabel neighed, breaking the only silence between them. He looked down at her, his brown eyes staring at her greenish gray ones.

_What's_. . . One of Matthew's hands went to her cheek. His eyes were wistful, and very warm. He leaned down to her, and then she was trying to make her feet take a step back. But she was frozen, her mind very quiet yet chaotic at the same time.

Indecision crossed his face, and his lips were inches from hers. Then he spoke,

"Nathan should be glad he has you, Azalea. What I wouldn't give for a pretty thing like you."

Matthew pulled away, the wistfulness stronger in his tawny brown eyes, and then got back up on his horse.

She stood there, the wind pushing her hair in front of her face, watching him gallop away on Mabel's gray back. Azalea wanted to hold on to something, to help her stand, but she felt numb. She sat down where she was, unable to comprehend the thoughts swirling in her mind.

_Alec liked to mess with her, but Matthew enjoyed inflicting pain._ Matthew had been unbelievably cruel that night. . .

But just now, he had been remorseful. He had been someone else entirely.

He had even said, "Nathan should be glad he has you, Azalea. What I wouldn't give for a pretty thing like you."

Who was Matthew, really? Was he like Dwayne, a person who could become someone evil, and then someone like a Saint? Or was he really just heavily influenced by others?

Dwayne was Jacob, and yet himself as well.

Could Matthew be the same way? Could Matthew be like Alec, and then just his peaceful self?

Or was Matthew really playing a trick on her?

How could he be?

"What brought this on?"

"The fact that I hurt you. I'm trying to make up for it."

"You don't have to make up for anything."

His reply, almost a reflex. "Yes, I do."

Matthew couldn't be pretending. His words seemed heartfelt.

_ "What I wouldn't give for a pretty thing like you."_

And to think that he had almost. . .

"What makes you think you're Ava's father?"

"Alec doesn't like having commitments. If Ava had lived, and I somehow knew she was around, I would have been there for the both of you."

"But how are you Ava's father?"

Matthew looks down. "I've always. . ." Matthew stops. "Alec didn't care for you enough to stay put. Think of it like that."

Azalea felt her mind quiet as she got up. Who could she tell about Matthew's behavior? Did she even want to tell?

_It would only make Nathan mad._ She decided. _I'll just let him know if anything happens._


	91. The Last Empty Book

Chapter Ninety One _Azalea's Point of View_

She let herself in, looking around the house. Azalea went to the kitchen to boil water for tea. She only had raspberry or green tea, so Matthew would have limited options.

She rushed around her former home. _Former._ The word stopped her for a moment. Where did she live now? In the palace, or did she still live in Rosemary's house? She shook her head at herself as she began to dust the furniture.

A knock on the door made her stand up straight from dusting inside of an empty dresser. She yanked down the long sleeves of her blue gown as she made her way to the door. She opened it, and was surprised to see Matthew holding a little bundle.

The morning breeze felt cool against her skin and she blinked when sunlight flooded her eyes. Matthew's brown hair was glowing warm brown and the copper brown in his eyes seemed very light. Lighter than hazel.

"Azalea, meet Rosalie." Matthew's bright smile caught her even more off guard. She smiled at him, and shakily took Rosalie from him. She had only held Sebastian for a minute but now she had another baby to hold. She backed away to let Matthew inside, and he closed the door behind himself.

"She's a very pretty baby," she bent her head down to kiss Rosalie's cheek. The little girl was staring up at her with surprisingly light hazel eyes. Her hair was hidden by a pink wool hat, but Azalea saw a dark ginger curl sticking out near Rosalie's eyes. There was a birth mark close to her chin, and Azalea cooed automatically, rocking her arms.

"She is," Matthew said. He watched her when she sat down on one of the chairs. She looked down at Rosalie, her eyes never leaving the baby's face. Rosalie cooed as she gazed at Azalea, and Azalea looked up when Matthew asked, "How are you?"

"I'm fine. You?" She handed Rosalie to Matthew when the kettle boiled.

"I'm good." Matthew chuckled. "Very good, actually." He saw her pull on a mitt to pour cups of tea. "Do you have green tea?"

Azalea nodded, relieved. "It's one of the options. I'll pour you some."

She poured the tea and put a jar of honey and a spoon on the table. She handed him his, surprised when his eyes stared down at her. She sat down, shaking away goose bumps.

"Cold?"

"It's a bit drafty." Azalea's eyes flickered around her former home, and she could feel Matthew's eyes beginning to burn a hole in her. "The rocking chair is right there."

"Great." Matthew smiled and somehow the smile made her feel colder. "I'll take it after wards. The tea is amazing, Azalea."

She forced a smile, struggling to keep the shivers at bay.

When they finished the tea, she bid the two of them a quick 'goodbye', feeling jumpy. She headed to the square a while after they left, feeling slightly lonely. Nathan's wound had closed back due to Rapunzel's hair, and he was somewhere in town often the past few days. Olivia, Fernidia, and Guy were too busy with wedding plans. She had seen Stephanie and Diego talking at one point. Alex was back at the prisons now that things calmed down. Adam was frequently visiting Michael, and she sometimes had no idea where he was.

Candace and David were preparing their house for the arrival of their baby. Liam and Sarah were catching up with Sage and Maya, who were all nowhere to be found. Rapunzel and Eugene were in the library or Dining Hall, if she was lucky. Anna-Beth and Dwayne were taking care of each other and Sebastian.

She sat down on the bench she and Nathan had shared so many times. Azalea rubbed the smooth wood of the bench as if trying to sooth it, when she wished for something to do. The children of Corona were playing by the water fountain, and she smiled a little at seeing youth growing up. She began to play with her hair, gazing around the semi-busy square.

A touch on her shoulder made her turn her head. A young man was prodding her with his hand. He looked tired, and when she hadn't responded, he sank down onto the bench beside her. He was breathing hard and she realized that he was either an announcer in training, or one of the young men delivering mail for the kingdom.

"A-Are you Azalea Gothel Dixon?" The young man turned to her and he seemed to struggle to get his breath back.

"I am," she pushed his hand away when he offered her a book. "Hold on a moment, sir. Rest here for me." She got up to buy him a cup of orange juice. She handed it to him, and he gulped it down quickly.

"Thank you, ma'am." He smiled at her, his eyes shining a bright blue.

"No problem," she smiled at him. Azalea looked down at what he was holding. "Is that for me?"

"Yes," he handed it to her. "It's from. . ." He turned the book over. "Rosemary Fennel."

She only heard the word 'Rosemary'. She took it from him with shaking hands, her vision blurring.

"Ma'am?" The young man asked her, staggered by her tears. "Is everything all right? Is it something I've said?"

"No, no." Azalea clutched the book to her chest. "I haven't heard from her in a long time. Years, if I remember right."

"I'm glad she mailed it to you then." The young man smiled.

"Me too," Azalea shook his outstretched hand. He pulled her to her feet and she wiped her eyes. "How much do I owe you?"

"You owe me nothing if you tell my older brother how I am doing." The man's ruffled light brown hair shook in the cool breeze.

"Who's your older brother?" She asked.

The man rolled his eyes. "He told me he knew everyone." His eyes brightened as he spoke. "His name is Jonathan Sion. I'm Will Sion. He's older than me by five years."

Azalea smiled. "It's nice to meet you, Will. I'll tell him."

Will smiled, and she could imagine young maidens chasing after Will, for he was very handsome. "Tell Nathan I said 'hi', too?"

"I will, Will." They both smiled at her words. He waved to her, and she waved back, feeling less lonely than before.

She walked to the palace's library, Will's delivery still by her chest. She sat down at their usual table, her eyes watering again at the thought that she was still on Rosemary's mind. She flipped open a few pages, confused.

The book appeared to be more like letters bunched up into each other. There was a red poppy rose that tumbled out when the cover flipped open. Somehow it seemed fresh though it had wilted. The vivid red color of the petals reminded her of her dress, and the promise she had made for Nathan. She shrugged nonchalantly; whenever he showed up again, she'd put her dress on for him.

She moved the poppy rose away, setting it beside her and read the first letter. Rosemary's penmanship hadn't changed since she had moved. She looked at the date and saw that this letter was from two years ago.

_" 'Dear Azalea,_

_ I hope you can forgive me for writing less. The letter we last shared was nearly a week ago. I wish I could say that things are getting better, but it's getting worse now. A man named Owen Smits had to watch his. . ._

_ I'd rather not talk about it. It's not a pleasant subject, let me assure you. I'm writing this letter in this empty book as a way to keep you more in my mind. The kingdom is becoming so poor that this is one of the last empty books that they have._

_ Prince Richard has returned but he seems depressed, and when the king gathered us all for yet another meeting, the prince looked like he hadn't seen the sun in days. He probably hadn't though. The king announced the meeting weeks after his return._

_ I'm not going to bore you anymore. As I write, I become even sadder to think about the mess we're all in. Carol says Father isn't getting any better, or did I tell you that already?_

_ There's going to be a red poppy rose for you when I finally send this to you. I hope you still like poppies._

_ -Rosemary Fennel, your Best' "_

Azalea jumped when a hand touched her shoulder. The light in the library had slowly faded to sunset, and she could see brown eyes staring down at her. "Alex?"

"Correct, dear." Alex's voice was warm. Azalea relaxed. For some reason, she had thought he was Matthew. "Everything all right?"

She nodded. "I'm fine. How's Michael?"

Alex answered her when they were on their way to the Dining Hall. "He's doing fine. He's not trying to deny the charge, if you know what I mean. He's not struggling, but he's still dazed about it somehow. I think he was right about Jacob having something to do with it, because Michael's been saying the oddest things in his sleep."

"Things like what?"

Alex's eyes were troubled. "Some nonsense about 'Count the bodies' and such."

She sat down at a seat, feeling tired. The day hadn't been busy, but her abrupt excitement over Rosemary's book made her feel drained. She got up to serve Nathan and Anna-Beth. She was giggling at watching Dwayne pretend to try and eat one of Sebastian's hands. The little boy was wide-awake, and hiccupping with laughter of his own when he shoved his fingers into Dwayne's mouth.

The Goldfinch Sisters and Guy were back as well, smiling at Rapunzel and Eugene, who were just walking in. Sage was staring at Sebastian with curiosity in his eyes. "Who's that?" He asked his father

Sarah was getting rice and gravy ready for her family, and looked over. "That's Anna's little boy, Sebastian."

"Hi, Sebastian." Sage struggled to say the name. "Sebastian. . .Sebas - Hi, Ian!"

Sebastian reached for Dwayne's fingers, his head lolling to look at Sage. He gurgled and a spit bubble popped on his chin. He squealed in greeting, and Sage started laughing.

Candace and David were already seated, and Candace smiled at Azalea when she saw her. David arched his eyebrows at Nathan, who glanced at him with an unreadable eyes.

Azalea served Nathan his plate, and smiled when he smirked welcomingly at her. Rapunzel sat on Azalea's left, and Eugene sat across from Nathan. He did his 'smolder' at them, and Nathan pretended to faint. Liam burst out laughing, and the king was chuckling from where he was.

Azalea handed Anna her plate, and tucked Rosemary's book under her chair. She would read more of Rosemary's letters later. The queen blessed the food and they all dug in.

Stephanie and Diego were sitting next to each other, and Stephanie's eyes were like sparkling streams when Azalea caught her eyes. Diego was making her laugh, and she heard Stephanie call him 'William' instead of 'Diego'.

"Nathan," she suddenly recalled Will. "Do you know Jonathan Sion?"

Nathan grinned. "Jonathan Sion, man, did we have good times. You run into him?"

"His younger brother. Will told me to tell you 'hi'." Azalea smiled when she saw the absence of pain in his eyes.

"Tell Will I said it back. Jonathan and I need to catch up." Nathan was grinning ear to ear. "We used to, um. . ." he managed to look ashamed but she could see exhilaration in his eyes like whatever he had done, he had done it just the day before.

"Have you done something you're not proud of?"

"We hid horses and rode them in the middle of the night." Nathan confessed.

She ruffled his hair like he had done to her so long ago. "Smart."

Nathan smiled and pecked her cheek.

Anna looked at Sebastian, who was trying not to fall asleep on her chest. "Sebastian, do you want to see your father eat a cow?"

Dwayne groaned, sitting down after getting thirds. "I'm hungry enough, too. Damn."

"Dwayne Tecro Fernando-"

"Anna-Beth Lei Keen-"

"We get it. You know each other's names," Liam bit his chicken wing. Anna pretended to glare at him and he goofily smiled back.

"I'm a father, let me rejoice in it." Dwayne looked at Anna, widening his eyes to make himself look innocent.

"No cursing." Anna looked around the room. "Sebastian's out now, Rapunzel's still with-child," the princess looked up from eating, surprised to hear her name. Anna-Beth went on. "And Sage can hear you."

Everyone in the room looked at Sage, who was busy eating corn off the cob. He looked up in alarm, and Azalea pictured a cat twitching his ears when he knew he was watched.

"What?" He swallowed.

"Just making sure your hearing is as bad as mine when I'm hungry," Liam nudged his son, who smiling back confusedly.

Anna-Beth abandoned the useless argument and rolled her green eyes. Rapunzel flashed Anna a sympathetic glance.

* * *

><p>She laid down on the bed, the book safely placed on the dresser, while Nathan washed up. When he made it into the room, he gazed at her lying down and empathy filled her eyes.<p>

"Sorry, Doll."

"For what?" What did he need to apologize for?

"For leaving you to yourself so much." Nathan sat down on the bed carefully, though the wound was sealed closed. "I've been planning on taking bakery lessons with David and Liam."

"Don't worry about it." It wasn't his fault that she felt lonely sometimes. She pecked his cheek.

"Doll," Nathan gazed at her.

She pecked his lips. "Don't worry about it, Nat."

"Fine." He rolled his eyes.

"Nathan," she whined.

"All right, okay." Nathan held out his hand. "You have my word."

She shook his hand, and pulled him in for another kiss. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Exhaustion abruptly filled Nathan's voice. She helped him lie down, and she laid down beside him.

"Goodnight, Nathan." She said in the silence.

"Night, Azalea." Nathan's green eyes closed.

She waited for sleep to come, feeling exhausted as well. She was positive that it was past midnight when her mind finally slowed down.


	92. Memories Being Cooked Up

Chapter Ninety Two **Nathan's Point of View**

Nathan looked around, confused at where he was. He was in a large clearing. A patch of gold flowers were yards away from him, and their golden glow made him realize that it was midnight outside. He peered around, looking for the moon. Chills went down his spine when he realized he couldn't see it.

"Hello, son." A hand on his shoulder made him nearly jump out of his skin. Nathan looked to the left to see his father. His father's brown eyes hadn't changed at all, and they were surprisingly warm as they appraised him.

Bursts of painful images made Nathan recoil, his body going cold. "Stay away from me."

His father blinked. "Why would I do that? I have my chance to apologize now. Nathan, I-"

Nathan's hands went to his ears and he fell backwards. He landed hard, and the jolt makes him more aware of how real the dream felt. Nathan backed away as his father reached a hand out to him. "Nathan, come on."

"You never called me Nathan. You did that once, right before I was burned." Nathan rasped, his mouth dry. His father gazed at Nathan with eyes that were sad. Nathan couldn't trust him. "Where's Mother?" Maybe she could make sense of his father's strange behavior.

"She's not here, Nathan." His Father crouched down to his level. "I want to apologize to you."

"Save your apologies!" Nathan hissed, anger surging through him. "You bargained with the wrong goons, Father. You ended up dead because of it."

"Nathan-"

The scene changed. Now Nathan was back in the burning stables. He stares around, red getting into his eyes. He blinks and struggles to get to his feet.

The fire was agonizingly hot. It felt like his shoulder was burning all over again. He could almost smell his seared flesh. He struggled to stand, pushing himself up with his hands. He looked at them to see them tied with rope. He was in too much shock to scream.

Rope.

He waves to the Princess. "Bye, Rapunzel!" Azalea waves harder than he did. Her golden hair shakes in the cold breeze and Nathan is tempted to brush back the stray strands.

He tries not to recall how the blond hair braided had looks like a golden rope. He remembers how hard he tried not to cringe as he had a wild thought of her hair wrapping itself around his neck, and then he would be hanging in a tree-

"Did someone try to climb the tree with a rope, Mommy?"

Fire.

"You're cheating on me!" His father roars. His hand goes flying across his mother's face and Nathan surged forward.

"Leave her alone!" Nathan screams but is pushed back against the oven.

Nathan heard Azalea screaming, and he tried to clear the nightmarish thoughts from his head. He managed to stagger to his feet only to feel dizzy as the blood quickly leaves his head. He shook his head in an attempt to clear it but it fogs his thoughts up. He fell down again, landing hard on his injured side.

"Jacob, stop!" He looked up with blurring vision, coughs beginning to erupt from his chest. Nathan crawled forward around the corner of the stables to see Azalea shackled to a wall. A pitchfork was lying on a barrel next to Jacob's side, and Nathan could see bruises all over Azalea's body. She looked skinny, but something in Nathan's mind told him that it was normal. Why would being able to see Azalea's ribs normal?

Jacob threw a punch at Azalea's stomach, yelling. "I'm going to beat the baby out of you, and then I'm going to let you burn."

"Jacob, please!" Azalea's plea was cut off by her gasp for air. "I'm not with-child!"

Azalea screamed when Jacob punched her again, her eyes bugging wide. Nathan quietly got to his feet and grabbed the pitchfork.

His vision blurred to black, and he felt himself yank hard at rusty metal, Azalea's pleas echoing in his ears.

Azalea shook him awake.

"Nathan?"

He groaned, the horrible sound bubbling from his chest. Nathan sat up, blinking rapidly, still seeing the flames. "Doll?"

"I'm right here," her warm hand found his cold one. She brought it to her cheek, her greenish gray eyes very serious. "Are you okay?"

He had to ask. "What did you dream about?"

Her eyes flickered down, and then back at him. "I dreamed of bringing Sage to one of Adam's magic shows."

So they hadn't shared this dream. Why this dream and not one of the others? How did the dream sharing work? Nathan's mind spun and he shoved the thoughts away.

"Are you all right?"

Nathan nodded.

"Why did you groan when you sat up?"

Nathan kissed her cheek wearily. This was the third time he had a dream like this. "I dreamed that I was really hungry and was about to have one of David's cinnamon buns."

Azalea smiled for a moment. "Did you get to taste it?"

He shook his head, his throat burning at the lies he was telling. "I woke up a moment too soon."

"Aw," Azalea caught him in a hug that lingered too long.

_Azalea's Point of View_

She felt Rapunzel nudge her with a broom. "Azalea, get up." Rapunzel whined playfully.

"But the floor feels amazing!" Azalea protested, her back still aching. Rapunzel and Olivia had insisted that the three of them go to David's bakery and clean out the ovens. Azalea hadn't minded, but her back was hurting from staying bent over for so long.

"Azalea," Nathan called in the back. "I'll pick you up and carry you to the palace with you over my shoulder if you don't get up."

"Is that supposed to be a threat?" Azalea whined. "I'd love that. Can you carry me to our room?"

They all started laughing and Azalea peeled herself off the floor. She glanced at Sarah and Liam, who were busy making a cake batter. Liam had missed Sage's birthday, and Sarah hadn't wanted to celebrate it without him. Now they were baking their son a cake.

She cracked eggs for them, and mixed the batter when Liam went to check on Sage, who was making faces at Sebastian. Sage had insisted on calling the baby 'Ian' and Anna nor Dwayne protested. Azalea smiled. The name 'Ian' was beginning to stick.

Nathan was practicing icing a cake by painting the one on the counter. It was the bottom layer of Sage's, and when she glanced over his shoulder, he was starting to shade. Alex had given him the paint and Sarah –who had wanted to be a painter after she had Sage- had discovered blank easels and canvases laying around. Now Nathan had his own.

Azalea looked over to where her book was;:on the corner of the bakery. She heard David's voice outside and went to hold it open for him and Candace. David smelled the baking batter and smiled. "Smells good, my friends."

Candace grinned at Azalea. "Hi, Azal."

"Hi, Ace Card." Azalea smiled back, closing the door behind the two of them. Candace had gotten bigger in her few days of absence, and she sank down onto one of the chairs gratefully.

Azalea got up to hand Candace a cup of water. She gazed at Nathan's face as he busily painted the cakes on the counter. Liam and Sarah were hard at work and Rapunzel was next to them as well, making cookies saying the instructions out loud to her unborn babies.

Azalea peeked in.

"You crack two eggs in the bowl with the mix." Rapunzel was smiling, the early morning light bleaching strands of her golden blond hair. "Now what did we put in the mix?" She waited patiently, and then her hand went to her stomach. "I'm glad you're both paying attention. We used flour, water, and melted chocolate squares."

Sage looked at the princess. "Rapunzel," he hadn't called her 'Punzie' yet. "How do you know that they hear you?"

"The nudges," Rapunzel turned to smile at Sage who looked abruptly dumbfounded at the beauty of her grin. "So when we want to stir, we have to stir a little soft because the butter is melting."

Azalea held back giggles and went to grab her book. She sat down next to the window, a table away from Candace. She started reading, hearing Rosemary's kind voice like she was in the room.

_" 'Dear Azalea,_

_ I keep wanting to ask how you are, but then I remember that I'm writing in a book and not a letter._

_ Kingdom Ladron, yes, the kingdom is named Ladron._

_ I don't like it.' "_

Azalea gaped. In the baby name books, the word 'ladron' meant 'thief'. Why name a kingdom 'thief'?

_" 'Yes, you've figured it out too. Are we the kingdom of thieves? I don't understand King Frederick's logic for that name._

_ Anyways, Ladron is getting a bit better._

_ As in, they are executing everyone who breaks a law. I've seen a man hanged for stealing a loaf of bread for his wife who was with-child with twins at the time. One of them died because of no food. Apparently, the kingdom has had a serious drought for the past two years, and the crops keep drying out._

_ And this is bad news for me, because you've always known how I am with plants. When your poppies started wilting, I planted some in my little bowls at home, and delivered those to you. I never bought you poppies from the florist, so I apologize for lying._

_ I'm laughing at myself right now. Would it have really mattered? Maybe knowing that I grew them would make them more special._

_ I have finally experienced going to sleep hungry for a week, and I see why the man was so desperate. He probably didn't think about himself; his wife was with-child with _twins_. He was probably the last thing on his mind. Pray for his wife and their only child, would you?_

_ Now, mind you, men have been breaking laws left and right now, serious laws too. But I can't say that I'm glad that they're being hanged, and oh! They've brought in guillotines.' "_

Azalea went cold.

_" 'You'd think that the men would behave, but I think their behavior has gotten worse. The hangings are painful, but the guillotines are quick. The florist that I visit, Riley Welks, he's supportive of the evil devices._

_ Riley is a nice man. He's handsome too, if I might say. He has the sweetest smile and deepest blue eyes-_

_ Sorry. I know I was supposed to tell you good things, but I can hardly think of any. Riley is all I have good at the moment._

_ No, wait. You remember my youngest sister, Caroline? I call her Carol because she sings like almost like an angel. I've heard Anna-Beth Keen sing –I've only seen her from a distance, I never met her- and they seem to have the same voice._

_ It's strange how much it hurts me, to think of Corona. I long to go back, but Father isn't getting better. I'm starting to think that his health is deteriorating._

_ I sigh as I close this letter. Hopefully you will get this soon._

_ -Rosemary Fennel, your Best' "_

Azalea looked at the date to see this one dated two months after the one she read two days ago. She closed the book, and nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt cool breath stir the stray strands of hair on her forehead.

She jolted up, looking away from the window to see Nathan's smoldering eyes. He smiled. "Hey, Azalea."

She smiled back, pleased to see him. "Hi, Nathan."

Nathan had heard that she had gotten her book from Rosemary, and he looked down at the book then at her eyes. Something twinkled in his forest pools.

"Can I see your cake?" She asked.

Panic flared in his eyes. "No, it's a surprise!"

"The one you drew, Nat." She pecked his forehead as she stood up.

"Oh, sure." Nathan visibly relaxed. He grabbed her hand and led her to the easel. Everyone was smiling when they saw their hands entwined, and Rapunzel was putting her cookies in the oven when she looked up.

Azalea gasped when she saw the canvas. The cake looked life like, the bright green icing vivid on the painting. The white laces on the cake stood out like stars in the night sky, and the wood the cake was resting on looked smooth and polished.

"Nathan, it's beautiful!" She grinned.

Nathan kissed her temple. "It's not as beautiful as you on the canvas." She giggled when he went on, "I plan to paint you someday. The walking Doll caught on paper."

Candace smiled. "Aw, Nathan, how poetic."

"I try." He smirked warmly at David's wife.


	93. Tangled

Chapter Ninety Three _Rosemary's Point of View_

* * *

><p>~Two Years Ago~<p>

* * *

><p>Rosemary looked up from the vibrant flowers, amazed at the bright splashes of color in the strange dull shop. Most florists had their vendors decorated with bright woody shades but this florist had his shop a pale cream color.<p>

"Can I get you anything, my faithful customer who never buys a single flower?" Riley's husky voice made her look up. She smiled at him, blushing when his deep blue eyes reached her hazel ones.

"No, I'm just looking," she said, edging closer to the flowers. Riley Welks sold vases that he insisted he made himself and after peering in one of the spare rooms to see stacks of wet clay, she relented.

Riley smiled at her then turned to the woman he was attending to. "Are you sure you want willows for your husband?"

"He's missing his father who passed a few months ago," the woman was pretty. She had long brown hair that shone in the afternoon light that beamed through the windows of Riley's shop. "Every now and then I buy him willows, honeysuckles, and heather."

Riley smiled. "Wise choice. It should ease his pain a bit."

The woman smiled as well. "I hope so. Thank you, Mr. Welks." She grabbed the carefully arranged bouquet, and waved. She graced Rosemary with her smile as she left the tiny shop.

Riley yawned from the counter, brushing back chocolate-wood brown hair from his eyes. He sat down at his stool, beginning to calculate his total of customers. Rosemary gently stroked the stems of the lemon balms nearby, leaning in to smell.

Eventually, before the silence became deafening, Riley spoke, "I'm about to close up shop. Are you sure you don't want anything?" Did he ever know how much she loved to hear his voice?

She shook her head, looking at Riley when he got off the stool to water some of the flowers. "I'm fine."

"If you're sure," Riley peered at her through the corner of his blue eyes. He shrugged when she blinked back at the lemon balms. She was sure that her face was as red as a red poppy flower.

"How will it ease his pain?" She asked him, her voice soft with nervousness.

"I beg your pardon?" Riley set the watering can down, rolling back the long sleeves of his white cotton shirt.

"The man grieving, her husband." Rosemary clarified. She went still when Riley walked in front of her.

Riley nodded, realization dawning on his face. "The heather means 'admiration', while the willows mean 'mourning'. The honeysuckles are for 'bonds of love'."

Rosemary shook her head. "I don't understand."

"It depends on who you send the flowers as well." Riley invited her to sit on his stool in front of his desk. The afternoon light had turned to sunset, and Riley lit several candles in the room. He grabbed a spare wooden stool by the door of the store and set it in front of the desk. He put the candle down in front of her, and sat down.

He spoke, "What she was saying to her husband is 'though your father is gone and you are mourning, I am bond to you by love and I admire you by being so open about the loss we both share'."

Rosemary gaped, and then shut her mouth. The way Riley put it, buying flowers meant more than ever saying, 'I'm sorry for your loss'. The flowers seemed to say so much more.

"I never would have guessed," Rosemary whispered. She blinked hard, feeling her eyes begin to burn. "The way you put it, Mr. Welks. It sounds beautiful."

"Call me Riley," Riley smiled. She nodded. She had heard some of his sisters, when they came by the shop, call him Riley. She never dared to. "I can tell you more, if you like."

Rosemary nodded, touched by Riley's behavior. He wanted to keep her around? She fought the urge to bounce in her seat.

Riley got up, his brown hair made black by the gloom, and walked to his rows and rows of flowers. He grabbed several from a few rows that she couldn't see, and came back. He placed them gently on the table.

"Here we have ivy, lilac, pansies." Riley glanced at her to make sure she was listening. And she was, heavily so; she was bent over the table, her long dark apple red hair curling by her shoulders. Riley smiled brightly before going on. "Lilac, 'first love'. Ivy stands for 'friendship' and pansy for 'loving thoughts'. Anything?"

Rosemary smiled. It seemed that Riley was-

A knock sounded on the door. Riley got up to answer it, and Rosemary saw that it was her younger sister Caroline.

"Oh, it's my sister." Rosemary smiled at her from her spot. Caroline walked in, looking at Riley, then Rosemary, and then the flowers on the table. Caroline beamed brightly at Riley, and looked at Rosemary again.

"I just wanted to see where you were. I'm making rice and gravy for dinner." Caroline smiled.

"I won't be but a minute," Rosemary gazed at her sister, feeling pleased as she thought of the suitors that would be climbing after her. Carol had blond hair, though it had once been like Rosemary's sweet velvet shades of crimson, and green-flecked blue eyes.

Caroline nodded. "Okay," she smiled at Riley, before walking out, hastily closing the door behind her.

Riley glanced at Rosemary, grinning. "That's your younger sister?"

"How did you know?"

"She's just as bright eyed as you," he sat back down. "Any thoughts?"

"Just love, that's all I could think of." Rosemary blinked, her cheeks beginning to burn again.

Riley smiled, and the smile made her melt inside her skin. She fought to keep from giggling when he gestured for her to stand up.

"I believe I have to deliver these now," Riley headed to the door, the flowers in his hand.

Rosemary watched him put his hand on the doorknob, her face still hot. He walked out of the shop, and then she was alone.

She wandered back to the lemon balms, and the door flew open.

Riley strode in, looking around even though he knew that she was still in his shop.

He went to her, his deep blue eyes suddenly shining bright. The candlelight flickered shades on their faces, making her hair darker. Riley got on one knee, looking up at her.

He found her limp hand and put the flowers in them. "Love, that's all I could think of." Riley's blue eyes shimmered as they gazed at her.

She looked down, then at Riley again. "Thank you," she managed to gasp.

Riley smiled and stood up. "You're welcome. . ."

"Rosemary."

"I beg your pardon?" Riley began to put on his coat, the playfulness still in his eyes.

"It's my name," Rosemary smiled back at him.

"It's beautiful."

Rosemary tried to control the blush this time, willing it away. "Thank you."

When they were about to part ways on the road, Riley looked at her, and he was suddenly laughing.

"What is it?" The square was slowly emptying as night crept on Ladron.

"Those were the only flowers I got you to get."

* * *

><p>Slowly, slowly, slowly, she was falling in love with him.<p>

"Have a nice day," he smiled at the customers who walked out of his shop with his flowers in their hands. Riley blinked up at her. "Anything yet?"

_Can I tell you that I only came to see _you_?_ Rosemary wondered faintly. She shook her head.

Riley taught her what most of the flowers meant. From love to despair, admiration to mourning.

"What does the flower 'rosemary' mean?" Rosemary asked one day.

Riley whistled. "Your first name means 'remembrance' while your last name means 'flattery'. Any thoughts?"

'Any thoughts?' was starting to become Riley's catchphrase.

"You will remember how I flatter you," Rosemary said it like it was a question.

Riley grinned. "Close."

"What did you get out of it?"

"If you flatter someone, they'll remember you." Riley flashed her a warm smile.

"Brilliant, as always." Rosemary teased, no longer so shy around him.

"I want to say I do my best, but my father raised me well."

* * *

><p>She had just walked in from her midnight to afternoon duty as a waitress at a well-known tavern. She longed to take off the tight dress and take a deep breath, but Caroline had dragged her inside before she even managed to say 'hello'.<p>

Rosemary looked at Caroline's face, twisted with distress. "What's happened?"

Caroline sniffled, and pointed out of their house window. Rosemary ran outside, and then she fell to her knees. Her garden –the one reason that they haven't had to go to the square to shop for vegetables that were too high priced- was burning. The smoke made her already watering eyes burn.

"Who did it?" Their father was enraged, ignoring their mother who tried to calm him down.

"The men," Caroline snipped. Rosemary realized then that as long as they were in Ladron, Caroline wouldn't marry any man. "The men have done it! A woman would never do this to another woman's garden!"

Rosemary was in tears. "I. . . I put my heart into that garden! And it all went down in a blaze of smoke and ash!" She was shrieking, enraged and despaired at the world. "There's nothing left of it! Nothing!"

The next two weeks, Rosemary couldn't bring herself to get out of bed. She was missing her garden like it was a sister. She had put everything into her little land that she could call her own. From reading gardening books to even asking Riley questions about which plant to plant when, she had done all she could to make sure that every plant could thrive.

She had brought seeds with her from Corona to plant in Lardon, so her _real_ garden was in Corona, but she never knew if Azalea had discovered it. Rosemary had started it in a private spot, back behind the woods in the biggest clearing she could find. Rosemary was grieving and miserable.

Caroline knocked on her door. "Rose," she knocked harder. "I know you're awake."

"Go away, Carol." Rosemary moaned. She looked at the tiny bowls containing red poppy flowers and was relieved that she had brought them inside her room.

"No, I can't." Caroline sounded stubborn. "My duty is hardly paying anything. I know your garden is gone," she went quiet. "But now you have to get out. We need you, Rosemary. I'll help as much as I can with buying things in town but I can hardly keep the house for us. You know how Mother is. She's so afraid now that she won't even leave the house."

Rosemary sighed, not in resign but in determination. What was she doing? Sure, her garden was gone now, but Caroline was right. They needed her, and she was abandoning them when they needed her the most.

The next morning was hard. Caroline had told her that they were keeping her as a waitress for the tavern, but now she had dish duty as well. She walked to Riley's shop, still wiping away suds out of her hair.

Riley smiled when she walked in, the customer talking to him forgotten. He patted the man on the shoulder and said, "Excuse me, sir." He paused before he reached Rosemary. "By the way, roses are always good for romance." Riley's bright blue eyes twinkled.

The man nodded, stopped Riley in time to buy some, and then left.

Riley stooped down to Rosemary's height, being a head taller than her. His eyes were very bright. "Rosemary," he breathed, "I haven't seen you in weeks. I was beginning to think something happened to you."

She shook her head. "The garden burned down, but we're fine."

Sympathy touched Riley's eyes. "I heard about that. How are you holding up?" As he spoke, he walked to his row of flowers to grab a gardenia flower and a basil leaf. He offered them to her, and she took them.

"We're okay. I've had to take dish duty now at the tavern," Rosemary frowned. She looked at the flowers. "I give you my best wishes and I am ecstatic for you?" She guessed.

"More or less," Riley amended. They took their spots at Riley's desk. "I am ecstatic for your return and I wish you the best."

Rosemary nodded, her eyes gazing at the soft features of Riley's face. "Hold on," she got up to grab a few flowers of her own. How often when she was grieving that she wished for Riley's smile, but felt too mentally weak to get out of bed. The first week, the tiniest implications about Rosemary's dead garden would send her into tears.

She gave him a snowdrop and a periwinkle.

"Anything?" She smirked.

Riley's face went remote in thought as he peered at the flowers. "I hope for happy memories?"

She nodded, then realized what he said. What she felt.

"I need to go," she hurried to the door.

"Wait, no!" Riley protested, quickly scrambling off his stool. He grabbed her by the arm and yanked her back when her hand was turning the doorknob. "Wait!" She struggled.

"For me?"

Rosemary went still, then realized what it implied. "No, Riley!"

"Rosemary, please?" Riley turned her to him, his face very close to hers.

She stopped struggling, and stood still. "Okay," she was in a pickle now.

Riley smiled the warm smile he reserved for her. He walked to a certain row and pulled out a single phlox.

Riley looked at her hazel eyes when she understood. He didn't stop her when she walked out the door.

That night, Rosemary laid awake in bed.

Phlox meant 'agreement'.

* * *

><p>Rosemary narrowly avoided bumping into one of her fellow waitresses with a stack of dirty plates. She handed her table the whiskey they asked for, wincing when their eyes slid across her body. She remembered Azalea, and gave them a hard look, feeling pleased when they looked away.<p>

Rosemary had first gotten her book to write Azalea letters a few months ago, and Rosemary found that she had the most time to write right after midnight.

Rosemary looked out the windows, gauging her time. Her shift had been shifted from sunset to dawn now, and it wasn't even midnight yet.

She had less and less time to see Riley now, and she missed seeing the warm smile on his face and his deep blue eyes.

She looked up when the door opened, pulling the rim of her skirt lower. She gasped when she saw that it was Riley walking in. He stopped a waitress who had passed him with an empty tray and they talked for a few heartbeats. The waitress gazed around the room before her eyes landed on Rosemary. The waitress pointed at her, and Riley nodded his thanks.

When he made it to her side, she was still frozen. He bowed. "Your royal Highness, Riley Welks has arrived to introduce you to the meaning of this special flower," Riley handed her a primrose.

She smiled faintly, starting to feel very warm inside. 'I can't live without you', that was what a primrose meant. She wished for a phlox, but then shook her head at herself.

"Hi, Riley."

"Hi, yourself." Riley smirked, his dark hair getting into his eyes. Rosemary resisted the urge to brush it away. "May I have a drink?"

"Of course," Rosemary lead him to a table of one. "What would you like?"

Riley scowled. "You think I came here to eat alone? Why, I'm insulted," Riley's tone was playful. "I'd like a table for two first and I'd enjoy two whiskeys."

Rosemary nodded, her stomach dropping. Was he waiting for someone? She went to get his two drinks, and set them down after he had found a booth by the back of the tavern.

"Anything else?" She put on her best blank face so he couldn't see the pain in her eyes. What if it was one of his customers?

"I'd like for you to take off your shift and sit with me." Riley winked, a bright smile on his face.

One of her friends bumped into her. "Oops, sorry, Rose." She looked at Riley and then at Rosemary. "Does he need something?"

"Yes," Riley answered. "I'd like for this amazing young woman to sit down with me for a delicious meal."

The waitress smiled. "Oh really?" She nudged Rosemary with her tray. "Sit down with him. My name is Luna and I will be your server for tonight." She nudged Rosemary harder, smiling when she sat down.

When Luna left, Riley was grinning. "Good friend."

"One of my best," Rosemary allowed. _Next to Azalea, of course._ "Why are you in Ladron?" Rosemary asked him. "I heard that you moved here for the climate for your flowers."

"And the company, for a small part." Riley's eyes were smiling. "What about you?"

Rosemary went somber. "My father was sick. We came for medicine, but what they have here isn't working. We might have been better off in Corona."

"Corona was one of my happiest times." Riley said. "I lived on the edge of the territory, but I was happy there. How is your father?"

"He's not getting better." Rosemary bit her lip, already feeling useless tears in the back of her eyes. Tears wouldn't help Father get better. They hadn't helped her garden grow back, and they would be useless now. "I think he's getting worse."

Riley patted her hand for a moment, and his cool touch made her skin hot where he touched it. "I'm sorry. I'd bring you orchids and yews, but they're not here." He looked around the tavern and then back at her, bright blue eyes sparkling.

"Let your sorrows refine you?"

"You got it," Riley smiled a soothing smile.

* * *

><p>When they finished their whiskey, Luna asked them what they'd like to eat. Rosemary picked the one thing she knew she would eat, and Riley chose the same.<p>

"Tell me about yourself," Riley's eyes were abruptly unfocused.

Rosemary started speaking almost without thought. "You know how I enjoy gardening. Painting would be my next choice of hobbies, and I like to stargaze."

Riley smiled. "Painting, eh?"

She nodded.

Riley took a sip of his whiskey. "Something tells me you're going to marry a painter."

"Oh really?"

"I speak the truth, my dear, Rose."

When Luna served them a dinner of chicken and black beans, Riley asked her more questions.

"Your favorite flower?"

"You haven't guessed yet?" Rosemary teasingly glared at him. "I love pansies."

Riley started laughing, and the sound of it hit home. "I should have guessed _that_. Want to know mine?"

She nodded.

"Rosemary flowers are the most beautiful."

She blushed when she looked down at her half-finished meal.

* * *

><p>At the end of their dinner, Riley walked her home. She tried to ignore how he kept looking over his shoulder worriedly.<p>

"What's the matter?" Rosemary asked him at her door.

Riley shrugged. "You really want to know?"

"Are you in trouble?" Rosemary realized how tense he had been near the end of their. . . What was it called? A courting night?

"Man, you're a quick one." Riley grinned, but it was wrong. His eyes stayed cold.

"What do they want?"

"I think that my stay has been overdue."

Rosemary shivered. "They're going to chase you out?"

Riley's eyes stayed on hers. "You could say that."

She heard thuds to the right and she trembled hard. "Come inside," she pleaded.

"I can't." Riley muttered. "If they search houses and find me in your house, they'll kill all of you."

"We'll be lovers having a night to ourselves. They wouldn't fault us for that if they find us, especially now that I know." Rosemary's voice went ragged with fear as the thuds and noises sounded closer. She grabbed his hand and yanked him inside, opening the door just in time.

Everyone was asleep since it was past midnight when they left. Rosemary realized that they only had three rooms –all occupied- and pulled him into hers.

Riley didn't struggle when she pulled him into the house, but now he reached for the doorknob to leave her room.

"Don't go," she grabbed both his hands and tugged him to the middle of the room by the foot of her bed. "At least until they leave."

They stood there, hands clutching hands. Rosemary trembled, straining to hear the sounds from outside. From what she could tell, it was quiet now.

Riley blinked in the gloom, barely visible as a shadow in the dark. "Rose," he started but she put her hand to his lips.

"Shush," Rosemary listened harder.

After a short while, she put her hand back to her side.

Riley sat down after she lit a candle. She put it on the dresser, and was relived to be able to see his face. His eyes were dark blue and his hair was as black as ink. "Rosemary," he said quietly.

"What is it?" She asked softly, peering out of the curtains.

Riley's voice was smiling. "We're lovers?"

_Do you want to be_? Rosemary wanted to ask. She answered her own question. "Um," she wanted to say 'yes'.

Riley got up and put his hand on her head, stroking her dark apple red hair. "I wouldn't mind that at all." He looked at the flowers that she had put on the bed.

"I'd give you a phlox and an orange rose but we're not at your shop." Rosemary felt all the air in her chest leave her lungs when she turned to him, his hand still rubbing her hair.

"I agree that you are my secret love?"

"How come you guess all of mine right?" Rosemary whined, half playful, half serious.

Riley's hand went to her cheek. "I was born a florist, Rosemary."

"So I see. You know how to treat this flower very well."

"I'm so tangled up in my love for flowers that I don't know reality when it hits me."

"You're tangled for a flower? Tangled for. . . Me?" Rosemary asked.

"Tangled for a flower of remembrance." Riley paused in thought. "That sounds about right. Because after all, all flowers are very enchanting. We pick them so we can. . ."

A knock sounded on the front door.

Rosemary looked at him, her heart in her throat.

"I can get it," Riley asked. "No use for them to see your pretty face."

Rosemary shook her head and began to take her dress off.

"What are you doing?" Riley grabbed the hem of her dress, trying to put it back over her head.

"I'm being a lover woken up out of bed."

"Don't take everything off!" Riley protested when she walked to her drawers.

"Cover your eyes."

"Rosemary-"

The knock grew more consistent.

"I'll put on my nightgown and ruffle my hair." Despite the situation, Rosemary enjoyed the look on Riley's face when she began to take her undergarments off.

He turned around and groaned. "Rosemary, you're going to end up being with-child in five minutes. Do hurry."

"Is that a threat?" Rosemary remembered how she would threaten Azalea with no blueberries when her friend was heavily with-child with Ava. "I'd love that," Azalea had said when Rosemary had complained. Back then, Rosemary had kept forgetting that Azalea had preferred pineapple at the moment.

Riley smiled faintly, she could hear it in his voice though his back was turned. "You would? Hurry back then."

She giggled softly and then walked to the door. She raked her fingers through her hair and shook her head wildly. She hitched her nightgown up to her thighs and put a sleepy expression on her face.

The guards were only visible by the lantern one of them was holding. They all blinked when they saw her, and the one who seemed to be in charge held up a poster of Riley's face.

"Have you seen this man?"

Rosemary looked back into the room, and winked at the door, playing it up. "No, _sir_, I haven't seen him." She imagined Riley's hand in hers and a purr came out of her mouth. "I was just in _bed_ about to fall asleep." She blew out a breathy exhale. "We just finished a steamy secession of love, if you know what I mean. I was about to crash, and you just woke me up." She groaned, putting one hand on her head like her head was aching.

The guards looked taken aback, and murmured apologies. She waved them awake, making herself yawn when they turned the corner down the stone ground. She closed the door and walked to her room. Halfway there, she bumped into something solid.

Riley's arms closed around her. "Thank you, Rosemary."

"No problem." She laughed quietly, exhilarated. "You should have seen their faces."

"You should have seen _mine_." Riley was smirking, she could hear it.

They sat down on her bed, talking quietly about flowers after the guards were gone.

She laid back and was about to fall asleep when Riley prodded her awake. "I think it's safe for me to go."

"Riley, can't you stay? It must be nearly dawn by now."

Riley shook his head. "No, I'm sorry."

"Can you tell me what you did?"

"We're the kingdom of thieves, and we're about to rob Corona." Riley mused.

"I beg your pardon?"

"You heard right. Get all your things, your family, everything, and get out of Ladron as fast as you can."

The next few days were busy, and when Rosemary finally found the chance to visit Riley's shop, he was gone.

She went around, asking for him. "Have you seen Riley?" or "Do you know who Riley Welks is?"

The villagers acted like they had never seen him, nor heard of his name. She cried on Luna's shoulder one day, completely baffled and miserable by his disappearance.

"I can't think of where he could be." She whimpered.

Luna looked at her and frowned. "Maybe he went back to where he came from." As loyal as Luna was, Rosemary found that she couldn't tell Luna everything that Riley had told her.

"I need to find him before something happens." Rosemary wiped tears from her eyes. "I need to give him something that is important to me."

White and red roses.

We are inseparable.

* * *

><p>Rosemary gazed at the king past the numerous heads in the way. King Frederick had called a meeting, a gathering of sorts, to the square.<p>

It had been an entire full six months since she had seen Riley, and two weeks since she had inherited Terra into her family.

There was a guillotine-

_No_, she told herself, trying not to tremble, _there is always a guillotine_.

The kingdom was so rowdy that there was always a man losing his life. She clutched Terra tighter to her and looked around, faint hope still lingering in her heart. Maya hadn't come back from Corona yet. She had told Rosemary that she had seen a man running away with a baby shortly after Rosemary had found Terra.

Rosemary stifled the growing impatience. Maya had been gone for a week now. The reason Rosemary was impatient –and mildly worried- was because Corona was only a day's travel away by horse or carriage.

Rosemary always had to tell herself that Maya had had business in Corona as well, having grown up there like Rosemary herself. Maya had planned to find Rosalie within the first few days, but she hadn't come back.

"Welcome your Highness, King Frederick and Prince Richard!" The announcer boomed. Rosemary was surprised that they still had announcers. Most of them had either moved away to other kingdoms or were in the prisons for evading their duties of announcing meetings and-

Rosemary bit her lip. Before her first meeting, she couldn't fathom why the announcers would evade such a duty, a duty that in Corona, you would earn respect and honor. Now she understood, and longed to escape.

She saw a masked man being led to the guillotine. The king and his son were standing near the front of the crowd. Prince Richard looked like he hadn't seen the sun in days.

Caroline nudged Rosemary. "Can I take her? I'm starting to feel. . ." Caroline was never able to deal with stress well. Rosemary looked at her sister and handed her Terra wordlessly. Until now, Caroline had had the brightest eyes. Now they were dimming as the days went on.

The announcer gazed at the staggering crowd and a strange fear emptied his eyes. The man was laid into position and the prince looked at the announcer. "Charles Smits, isn't it?" At the announcer's weak nod, the prince asked. "Where's your brother?"

"Right here," a younger version of Charles was standing beside Rosemary. He broke through the dark blue crowd. He bowed to his older brother and the king with his son. "Brother, your Highnesses," he addressed them.

Prince Richard nodded briefly. "You are the only painter in this kingdom, correct?"

"Yes, your Highness."

"As you might be able to tell now, painters will bring in money for Ladron while our plans are in effect. You will begin to train painters after this meeting, and I will check on your progress every six months. Do you understand?"

The announcer's younger brother nodded, and she saw him gulp at the pressure of being directly instructed by the prince

"Your brother, Charles, has been going against our rules for the past month. Were you informed?"

The announcer's younger brother looked shocked. "N-No, I was not informed." Rosemary edged to the front.

"Do you realize what his punishment will be?" Prince Richard gestured for him to look at the guillotine. The young man's knees started shaking.

"Char-Charlie, what have you done?" A choked cry sounded the man's trembling lips.

"Silence!" The king hissed at the crowd as murmurs and sorrowful wails made the crowd begin to stir back into life.

Prince Richard spoke, "The kingdom is shrinking, so I oblige every man and maiden in here to find a partner and get busy."

Rosemary blinked. Did he really just say that? She thought about his words. _Riley would have been my partner_, Rosemary bit back unexpected tears.

"Charlie Smits, please do your last deed as an announcer."

That was another duty the announcers had to do. Announce meetings, and deliver the sentences.

Charlie Smits seemed unable to walk. He met his brother's eyes. "I'm sorry, Owen." He rasped as he walked to the man in place. Charlie's hand shook as he placed it on the lever.

The air in Rosemary's lungs seemed to burn, searing her chest. She inhaled deeply, her hazel eyes flying wide. Charlie pulled the lever up a few inches and then pushed it down. She heard herself scream with the crowd.

The head looked up, watching. Then the head turned to her, the man's green eyes boring into her hazel ones, making the air in her lungs abruptly freeze to ice.

The eyes blinked at her, and she could feel the ground beginning to give way.

"I want to tell him thank you for the heather, willows, and honeysuckles. Tell him for me, Luna?" The mouth moved. Rosemary felt more horrified screams around her. This man had been Luna's husband? Why did this happen to him?

Rosemary was able to hold it together when the guards in navy blue tied Charlie's hands together. His younger brother stood by her as he watched his brother be paraded away. She grabbed his attention by meeting his eyes. She tried to put on a soothing smile, but she felt it twist her face into a grimace.

She looked back in time to see the man's glassy eyes wink at her.

She felt someone catch her when the world was suddenly shrouded in darkness.

Owen's Point of View

"Owen, why didn't you leave her there?" His father reprimanded him after he heard the whole story.

"And let her get trampled?" Owen looked down at the unconscious young woman lying on the loveseat. Her dark apple red hair laid on her shoulders and a smile captured Owen's face as he gazed at her.

"We don't even know where she lives," his father was agitated. Worried for Charlie, who had a fate they all couldn't change. Before Prince Richard had gone missing, he had been peaceful and nowhere near the tyrant his father was. He had even been Owen's friend. Now Richard was becoming more and more like his father.

"I'm sure she'll tell us when she wakes up."

"And when she does-" his father was interrupted.

"She might need to stay the night. It's late." His mother had been silently listening to the exchange. She was making dinner. A dinner that Charlie wouldn't have.

"I'm going to see him." Owen snuck a glance at the young woman again.

"Good," his father glanced at the woman too. "He only has one visit. I. . ." he looked down. "If I see him, I'll kill him for doing this to us."

"It probably wasn't his fault." His mother's voice was firm. "He might have been framed. People have sunk down to very low levels, Lucas."

His father scowled but said nothing more. The woman didn't wake for a while. When Owen was walking out the door, his father grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Poor Layla," Owen thought to the woman Charlie had been courting. After a year of being an announcer, Charlie had planned to find another job to get more than enough money to marry the woman. He had only had two months left.

"Poor everyone," his father retorted. "Poor everyone but him."

"Why not Charlie, Father?"

"He's beating me out of this hell hole. He should have something be happy for. Tell him I said, 'congratulations'."

* * *

><p>When Charlie first heard the news, he had been laughing. It was dark laugher, but laugher just the same.<p>

"What about Layla?"

Charlie blinked back tears. "I don't know, Owen. Would you blame me if I thought of names already?"

Owen shook his head.

"We were thinking of Madison."

Owen bit his lip. A baby girl that would never be.

"Why'd you do it? Charlie, why?"

Charlie's tied hands quavered. "I found out that Ladron is trying to steal something. A flower. A blasted flower!" Charlie shook his head. "But the flower has healing properties, that's what I heard."

"Why would we steal it?"

"For currency. Riches. What man doesn't want to be wealthy? Think Owen, with just a petal, we'd have a hundred gold coins. . ." Charlie went on, but Owen stopped paying attention.

_A hundred gold coins_. Owen was amazed. With money, people could make more shops. They needed a new florist, now that the popular Riley Welks was gone. More shops, more jobs. More people willing to get those jobs, and yet more money.

But stealing it would be wrong. Owen cut Charlie off. "But, we can't do that."

"No kidding. I tried to burn the plans but there was so much of it written down and it was impossible to burn it all at once. And then-"

"You were caught," Owen understood with a pang of anger. His brother was going to be killed for doing the right thing.

After a small silence, Owen said, "I heard that the word 'ladron' means 'thief'."

"Charlie laughed and Owen joined in. "The kingdom of thieves." Charlie chuckled at the title, adding the regal tone only an announcer could use.

Owen sighed when the strange laughter died away. "I'm sorry, Charlie."

"Don't be, Owen. Like Father said, I'm getting out of this hell hole."

"What about Layla?" Own stood up, staring at the moonlight patches on Charlie's bruised face.

"Keep in touch for me."

* * *

><p>Owen walked up to the lever, unable to do it. The crowd was quiet behind him. The King and his son put on fake faces of sympathy.<p>

Owen pushed the lever down. The blade went through, but Charlie was still in one piece. _What the hell_?

Owen walked in front of his older brother's body, shocked to see Charlie's eyes blinking at him.

Charlie rasped, "Owen, do it again. Let me free."

Owen felt the world shake. "Char-"

"Let me free, Owen!" Charlie roared, pain in his voice. "Let me _free_!"

Charlie sat up, his heart in his throat. He looked over at the loveseat, confused at where he was. He had fallen asleep waiting for the woman to wake up. The room was dark except for the floating candle that he had placed-

"I see you're awake." His voice sounded tired and sad.

"Sorry. I had to use the washroom."

"Don't apologize." As Owen spoke, the candle placed itself on the tiny table by the loveseat. From what Owen could tell, the woman had hazel eyes.

"Thank you for catching me." She spoke quietly. Her voice has a pleasant softness in it.

"You're welcome. . ."

"Rosemary."

"I beg your pardon?"

"It's my name."

Memories flickered in her hazel eyes, and Owen looked at her, seeing past the beauty. She was still beautiful, but something inside her was broken.

Shattered. She was almost like a dying flower, and he could believe so when he stared into her eyes; they were empty when warmth should have been there.

Everyone was tangled. Charlie was tangled for the flower he fought to protect the only way he thought he could, and was being sent to death for it. Who had tangled up with Rosemary? And where were they now?

"I found out that Ladron is trying to steal something. A flower. A blasted flower!"


	94. Princess In Peril

Chapter Ninety Four Jacob's Point of View

Jacob looked over at Diego, and sighed. Diego couldn't help it. William was breaking free, and frankly, when Jacob had seen the look of contentment on William's face when he climbed into the tower, he _wanted_ to let him free. Diego was abruptly dissolving into nothing.

"How's Stephanie?" Jacob asked, sitting up on the floor.

William smiled. "She's doing fine. She doesn't seem to be afraid of me anymore." He sighed. "What do I need to do now?"

"Well," Jacob paused in thought. William was being freed just in time to. . . If he was still going through with it. "You don't need to hang yourself anymore, if that's what you're asking. You seem happy now, happier than before, and I want you to stay that way. Yes, yes, Jacob does have a heart." Jacob did. Not Fernando.

Diego blinked and then his relaxed body tensed up. "What am I doing?"

"You're going to lure Azalea to me. After that, I _promise_ that Diego will be no more, William."

_Azalea's Point of View_

She was having a nightmare.

She was pinned to something smooth, and rust rubbed on her wrist. Her hands felt like they were rubbed raw, and when she glanced at them, deep red blisters dot her palms.

Azalea screamed when another blow lands right on her stomach. She gasped for air, each blow forcing all of the air out of her lungs, and recoiled away.

She could hardly recognize her voice. "Stop!" She felt dried tears on her cheeks and more trail down her face. "Please, stop!"

Her assaulter laughed. "I'm doing us a favor." She felt another blow hit her bruised ribs and she yanked at the air, arching her back to try and slip her wrists free.

"You can't get out," the man stared at her, and in the gloom she could see his face. "You're going to die here, Azalea."

"Let me go!" Azalea croaked after more blows, losing her breath as her chest heaved uselessly.

"I am, actually." Jacob leaned in to her face. "Aren't you glad I burned your hands?" He cooed. "Now even if you do get free, you can hardly touch anything."

Azalea looked back at her hands, horror making speaking impossible.

"I'm going away for a few days. Maybe, if you don't die first, you can get back to the palace, hm?" Jacob watched her terror-filled eyes dart to the door. He started laughing. "If I get back and you're still here, I'm going to burn your feet next. And then I'll kill you."

He raised his fists, and she cringed, her battered body shaking. She never handled stress as good as Rosemary had, and she could hear ringing in her ears.

"Azalea, are you ready?" Jacob throwed a punch to her chest, and then one to her stomach again. "I'm going to unshackle you, and let you have a chance to escape. Think of this as a test, if you will."

Jacob released her from the wall, and she fell down, unable to move. He kicked her aching stomach with his boot and she curls up, looking at her hands.

Jacob whined. "Come on, Azalea. Get up and start running."

She willed herself to her feet, wobbling as the walls rose to the oddest angles. She staggered forward, blinking hard. Her stomach had stopped rumbling days ago, and through the ringing she could hear her heart beating.

"Start running," Jacob nudged her from behind. "It's no fun if you don't want it."

She groaned her burned hands grabbing at the frame of the door to keep standing. Azalea looked back at Jacob and his eyes harden. She turned away, not trusting her feet to move to the door that she wanted to run through so badly.

Azalea hobbled down the hallway, her vision blurring. She had to run, she has to run while he was-

Jacob appeared at the edge of the hall, and a slap across her face made her stagger backwards. She was abruptly confused. Where was the door? She turned the other way and tried to run with a bit more speed, trying her hardest not to trip.

Something flew right above her head and hit the wall with a loud thud. She saw it crumble to wooden pieces and realized that Jacob had thrown a chair at her.

"You have to want it, Azalea!" Jacob howled at her. "It's either you escape, give up, or you get one of my chairs in the back of your head!"

Azalea surged down the hall, ducking as a vase flies past her. It hit the wall with an unmusical sound and glass shards land on her feet as she rushed past it. She screamed a hoarse scream when a knife flickers past her line of vision.

"Azalea," she could hear Jacob chanting. "Azalea, come back here. Let me try cutting you open again."

From very far away, she could feel arms shaking her.

She hurried to the kitchen, the ringing in her ears growing quieter as her name was being chanting. "Azalea! Azalea!"

She felt something gently press itself to the top of her head and she toppled over, landing hard on her hands. She screamed, feeling the blisters pop, and the sound jolted her awake.

Something warm held her, and lips anxiously kissed her forehead. "Azalea, it's over. It's over now. You're awake."

She could hear horrible sobs coming from her chest and she wondered dimly why her stomach wasn't aching. She blinked her eyes open to see Nathan's green eyes staring at her.

"You're awake," he chanted to her. She was sitting on his lap and he was rocking her in his arms. "You're awake now, you hear me? The nightmare is gone."

The sobs ebbed away as Nathan rocked her side to side. She wrapped her arms around him, feeling them begin again.

"Do you want the herbs to help you sleep a bit better?" Nathan asked her when rosy streaks of dawn filled their room. She was lying on her side, staring at Nathan's face as it clouded with sleep.

"Do you want the herbs to help _you_ sleep a bit better?" She countered him. She hadn't forgotten about the nightmares.

"They're just bad dreams." Nathan mumbled, looking away.

"They're just bad dreams." Azalea mimicked his tone. She wasn't trying to be mean but why not be equal?

"Doll," Nathan got up to grab the fabric bag, putting it on the bed between them. "Just a little?"

"You have some too then." Azalea amended, looking at the bag like it had teeth.

She could still feel herself shaking. She could still feel the air the knife had disturbed as it flew right past her.

"Azalea," Nathan cupped her chin with his hand, pulling her face inches from his. "For me?"

Azalea gulped nervously and then looked at the fabric bag. "All right."

Nathan said nothing when she rustled the herbs. He said nothing when she inhaled their pungent smell.

Then he spoke when they were both walking to the door.

"Why are your eyes black?"

_Rapunzel's Point of View_

I sat up straighter, watching Dwayne and Anna enter the room. Sebastian was wrapped up tightly in a cotton blanket, and Sage beamed when he saw his much younger friend arrive.

"Ian!" Sage bounced up and down in his seat. Sarah and Liam were already sitting down, and Anna-Beth handed Sebastian to Sarah, a tired expression on her face. She managed to smile at Sage, and then she sat down across from the little boy. Dwayne opened a chair for Candace when she and David arrived, and sat down next to his fiancé.

Eugene waved at Father Dante, who kissed the top of Anna's head. His brother nodded at Alex, who was resting in his seat next to Stephanie and Diego. My Father handed me my plate of pineapple and my Mother prodded Azalea, who looked dead on her feet. She rubbed her eyes as she sat down. A hiccup jolted her more alert and she was smiling when Nathan handed her a plate full of blueberry muffins.

"Good morning," Olivia greeted us when she and Guy made it to the table. I grabbed one of Azalea's muffins and started nibbling on it.

"Mornin'," Nathan grabbed one of Azalea's muffins and bit a chunk out of it. Azalea sighed sleepily and picked up a muffin to eat.

"Morning, Olivia." Fernidia looked around the table. Adam nudged her from her right side and she looked down at her plate. Sympathy made my stomach churn a bit and Eugene and Adam exchanged glances.

Azalea's eyes drooped and she cupped her chin with her right hand, nibbling slower and slower on her muffin.

"Tired?" Anna-Beth asked, glancing at Azalea. Azalea nodded wearily, her eyes closing. Nathan prodded her.

"Azalea, stay awake. You're going to fall on your muffins." Nathan's tone was playful but his eyes were smoldering with an unreadable emotion.

Her head lolled as she sat back, her eyes prying themselves open. "Sorry. . ." I could hardly hear her sigh.

"It's okay," Liam poked Azalea's fingers with a fork. "What's got you so tired?" He sharply glanced at Nathan, arching his eyebrows. Nathan blinked and shook his head at him.

Azalea got up, blinking as she walked away. She came back with a cup of peppermint tea. I realized then that Azalea hadn't looked at anyone since she came in.

"Something wrong?" Adam asked her; he must have noticed it too.

Azalea stared down at her plate, and then looked up slowly. I gasped when I saw her eyes. They were black, the pupils stretched out to blot out the pretty color of her irises.

"What the hell?" Eugene blinked. I was in too much shock to nudge him.

"What happened?" David choked his toast. The entire table went quiet, the others in the room oblivious. My mother and gather glanced down the aisle, but weren't paying attention as they were talking to Diego and Alex to discuss how the prisoners were behaving.

Azalea looked at David with her dark eyes, and then at me. I inhaled sharply when we locked gazes. I could almost hear her voice as my mind began to add things up.

I got up, grabbing Azalea by the arm to tow her to the library. I looked back at my table and said, "Keep eating. I need to ask Azalea how the peppermint tastes."

"Why can't you ask her here?" Guy asked but was nudged by Olivia and shushed by her older sister. Adam began to tell him how to exercise his formerly broken arm to make it stronger and I saw Nathan and Sarah wave us away.

Azalea blinked, her eyes trying to tell me something. "It's because of you, Rapunzel."

I gasped when I started connecting the dots. It was because of me.

"Don't you see? You are the root of all the flowers," Azalea's voice sounded strange. "You die, the flowers die," her voice began to quaver. "And I die."

I couldn't believe it. I was part of the sun flowers, wasn't I? I grabbed some of their powers because my Mother had been sick carrying me, but how could I be the roots?

"How am I the roots?" I asked her breathlessly.

"You're the sun and I'm the moon. '_Do you think one day, we'd grow a flower? If you can be the seed I'd help you grow. Pieces of me would be the fertilizer. Pieces of you would be the petals._' " Azalea recited the lyrics perfectly.

"I don't understand," I sank down onto a chair. "If your eyes are black, why aren't mine?"

"Your eyes only turn black when the _flowers_ are in danger." Azalea sounded a little more like herself though she was shaking. She went on,

"So when _you're_ in danger that means. . . Damn!" It hit me at the same moment it hit her. We both hurried to the gardens. She threw the doors open and we both froze when we saw the flowers.

Their beautiful golden petals were black now. The color of the petals was so dark I almost thought that they had been burned at first. I could barely see a faint gold glow emanating from them, and blinked hard, blinking back tears.

"The flower petals have turned black," Azalea stammered.

"It can't be." I still couldn't move.

Azalea turned to me, and the sunshine that shone down on us felt cold to me. "Rapunzel, you're in danger somehow. But you already know this, don't you?" Azalea's deep eyes stared straight through me.

"Because after all, you saw yourself die." Azalea whispered.


	95. Honeymoon Dream (Happy 40,000 Reviews!)

K*H*W* (go to my profile :)

* * *

><p><span>Chapter Ninety Five<span>  Jacob's Point of View

Jacob's legs were tired from the long walk but determination made him keep walking. The aroma from the large bunches of herbs in his hands made him slightly lightheaded, but otherwise, Jacob was steady on his feet.

He dumped the herbs next to a large green bush that was similar to the color of the roots and leaves he was holding. He peered through the trees to see the stables, and he counted the days on his fingers. He still had fourteen days to prepare. And possibly, once it was announced that Rapunzel had had her children, he'd have seven days to get back at Azalea.

He flexed his fingers and neck, anticipation surging through him.

_Rapunzel's Point of View_

How did she know?

I racked the question over and over in my mind when dinner came around. The table was moderately quiet, and I was concerned to see Azalea and Nathan absent at the table. I looked over at Eugene.

"Where's Azalea and Nathan?" David asked it first.

My father, having heard the question, answered. "They should be around here somehow. They're probably buying things in town."

I looked down at my bare plate, feeling mixed feelings. Did Azalea know that I wouldn't live through birthing Anora and Flynn? Should I tell Eugene? It would be inevitable, but should he know? I dispelled the idea quickly. Why tell him, have him worry about me for another week, get his hopes up that I would be fine, and then lose me. . .

I had to keep it to myself, and I had to keep Azalea from saying anything, if she knew.

_Azalea's Point of View_

She looked up at Nathan from sitting on the bench, barely able to see his face. "Why are we sitting in the dark?" The moon was gone from the sky, in the darkest phase of its cycle.

"Sitting in the dark is soothing." Nathan's hand found hers. Then he let go of her hand and pulled her closer to him. She could feel the herbs in her system ebb a little, and she snuggled into Nathan's shoulder. Why had she told Rapunzel? The flowers would have said enough, Azalea hadn't needed to go and worry the princess over this. Besides, what danger could Rapunzel be in? The herbs must have been talking.

"Did I ever tell you that I love you?" Nathan kissed the top of her head, reminding her of the gentle touch she had felt while running from Jacob. "Because I really do."

She laughed. "I love you too." She twisted away to get a clear shot of his chin. She pecked it, and curled back up against him.

"Let's do something," she got up after a few minutes. She whined when he didn't move. "Nathan, come on!"

"Azalea!" Nathan peered up at her with dark green eyes, eyes that she could hardly see.

"Nathan!"

"Azalea!"

"Nathan, please?"

He got up, chuckling. "We have too much fun doing that."

She nudged him. "Says you, Nat."

They walked back to the palace. "What are we doing?" Nathan asked.

"Wait here," she left him by the Dining Hall.

"Where are you going?" Nathan stood where he was, watching her leave.

"I'll be right back, all right?" She walked to the dressing room, rummaging through the dresses after she lit a few candles. She pulled away what she wanted and pulled it on. She tied the sash to her waist and applied the eye powder and mixture on her face. She combed out her hair with her hands and pulled on the shoes.

She walked to the mirror and held up a candle by her side so she could see. She was wearing what she had worn on Olivia's bachelorette night, like she had promised Nathan.

When she walked back to the Dining Hall, Nathan was leaning back against the wall, looking patient. He looked up when he heard the sound of the tiny heels. His eyes widened when he saw her attire and he blinked. "Are we doing what I think we're doing?"

"What do you think we're doing?" She put a hand on her hips and scolded at him. Nathan's breath hitched and then he sucked in a deep gust of air.

"I think we're about to give me a heart attack. Where to?" Nathan's warm smile was breathtaking when he grabbed the hand from her waist.

She led him to the ballroom and smiled when he stared around the room, and then at her.

"I thought this room was so beautiful to me at first, but then I saw you right next to me and I disagreed with myself." Nathan bent down to kiss her nose.

Azalea felt warmth shoot through her as they started dancing.

"Sage really likes Sebastian," she tried to start a conversation.

"He has a little friend now that he'll see all the time." Nathan was grinning as he spun her around. "What's not to like? Sebastian is adorable."

"Anna and Dwayne must be very happy." Azalea said, pushing herself to Nathan's chest. She realized then that they hadn't lit candles. "Hold on, it's dark in here." She pulled away.

She felt Nathan close behind her as she felt the way to the washroom. She grabbed at the counters for a lantern, not sure how she would light it. She felt Nathan's hands grab her waist from behind and she gasped.

"Nathan?"

"Of course it's me." Nathan was smiling, though she couldn't see. "Who else would grab you this way?"

"Um." Azalea didn't know how to respond.

"Don't answer that," Nathan pulled her close to him. She stood up on her tip-toes to kiss his lips, smiling when he leaned down to kiss her deeper. She wrapped her arms around his neck, trying to ignore the ache that made her want to do more than kissing. She remembered how the dream had gone, the one that they had shared. The honeymoon dream; she wanted to start it. It had been so simple.

She gasped around his lips when one of his hands went up to her blond hair. "Nathan?"

"Hm?" Nathan pulled away, and she saw that they wouldn't continue. She relented, and suddenly thought of her birthday.

"We are having six, right?"

"As many as you want." Nathan caught on. She caught him in a hug.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Loving me."

"What's not to love? You're feisty as hell when you want, cute as a button, and you know how to have a good time." He gestured to the dress. "And you look like dessert in that little red thing you've got on there."

"Feisty?" She looked up at him.

"See? There you go."

They both started laughing.

"Seriously, though. Thank you, Nathan."

"You're welcome. And Azalea?" He asked when they started walking out of the ballroom.

"Yes?"

"I have to thank you too."

"Why?"

"Because you love me."

"You know I do."

"And thank you."

"You're welcome, Nat."

When they made it back to their bedroom and were both lying face to face, Nathan spoke again. "Six?"

"You don't want six?"

"How far apart will they be?"

"A year, I hope."

Nathan smiled and his green eyes were simmering.

"Six little Azaleas."

"Six little Nathans." She countered him, wishing that her eyes weren't dark. Nathan stared into them, and instead of repulsion, she saw affection in his deep green eyes.

"Goodnight." Azalea pecked his nose.

"Goodnight, Doll."

She felt him grab her hand before she fell asleep.


	96. Mr Welks Appears and Poisoned Ferns

Chapter Ninety Six **Riley's Point of View**

He missed Rosemary terribly.

Riley found an almond flower that had been yanked from the stem and clutched it to his hand. 'Promise' or 'hope'.

He remembered how fast he had ran from the dying woman with the red velvet haired baby, and how fear had locked his muscles when he woken up to see her gone.

Riley peers past heads to see her dark apple hair. He can't stop the mild anxiety that surged through him. Had she moved on?

Anger makes the usually sleepy crowd glare at the king and the prince. A man next to him is cracking his knuckles, his pale green eyes burning.

"Welcome your Highnesses, King Frederick and Prince Richard!" The young announcer seems anxious as he stands alone before the angry crowd.

As the two men of royalty step forward, Riley realizes that he can hear grumbles and frustrated murmurs.

"Your Highness, there are no crops growing in the fields. A young lady had her garden burned down a few months ago, and received no compensation for her trouble." The announcer is going down the list of matters that the king needed to attend to. "Compensation usually accounts for seeds, gold coins, and condolences. This woman is left to tend to her family of three and she and her sister only had jobs, as her father was sick and her mother was taking care of him."

The king nods thoughtfully, and Riley wishes that he was by Rosemary to see what her reaction was. Riley has to thank his father for the idea of dumping ink on his hair. He hadn't at the time, of course, but while his hair was midnight black, he could stay in Ladron long enough for a chance to convince Rosemary to leave with him.

Riley had to close his shop down, all the flowers in his room at home, so he slept wherever he could in his house. On the floor, on counters.

He sends all the customers who had visited him a yellow carnation and a striped carnation. They meant, 'rejection,' or 'disdain'. The striped carnation meant, 'refusal', or 'Sorry, I can't be with you.'

He would have sent Rosemary flowers as well, but the ink was washing away faster than he had intended. Now he has streaks of his warm brown gleaming among the black strands.

The prince speaks, "Who is this young woman?"

"She has remained anonymous except to those who know her." The announcer says, and Riley recognizes him: Charles Smits.

"Very well," The king says. "I will give her compensation after this meeting. Anything else?"

Why had the king made it sound like it was such trouble? Riley would have been head over heels to have an excuse to Rosemary. To see her beautiful eyes again.

Charlie goes on, but Riley tunes it out. Lost in thought. How is her father doing now? Is Caroline doing all right?

The crowd grows more agitated as Charlie droned on, and someone pushes Riley into the man next to him.

"My apologies," Riley sputters, looking at the man who throws a fist at him. Riley ducks, and hears the man's fist collide with flesh. Loud voices and yelling sound around Riley, and he is confused when he stands up straight. The crowd looks like a sea of punches and kicks, and Riley staggers forward when he feels air whoosh past his face.

Is this his only chance? "Rosemary!" he calls her name, not sure where she has gone. He trips over someone lying on the ground and he looks away. "Rosemary, where are you?"

He looks up as a couple struggles from the crowd. The horses that the king and prince had rode on are bucking and kicking at the air. The man guides his wife through the crowd, and Riley sees that they were both holding a newborn.

"Rosemary?" He hears a familiar voice call. He turns to see Caroline duck past two men throwing viciously accurate punches.

"Carol!" Riley walks to her, but then he feels something solid collide into the back of his head. He falls down on his stomach and looked around. "Carol?" Where has she gone?

"Rosemary?" Caroline's voice is so close. Where is she? He struggles back to his feet, looking at the fighting crowd that was steadily growing rowdier.

He looks up to see a flash of blond hair and he looks around frantically with his eyes. Where has she gone? He had just seen her!

He hears a loud scream to his right and sees the couple edging around the horses. One bucks and he looks away. The hooves had collided into the man's head.

The scream sounds again, and he sees another flash, but of dark ginger hair. He dashes to the baby lying on the ground, and nearly freezes in shock when the lady dove down as well.

Now away from the crowd, Riley can see the woman more clearly. She is trying to grab her other child, one eye warily on the horse that had killed her husband, reaching with one hand.

He blinks when he sees another flash of blond hair: Caroline. She bends down to grab the baby, handing it to her mother. She murmurs a few words to her and tears trickle down the mother's face.

She hurries down the paved road, looking back at Riley and Caroline before nodding.

Riley turns to Caroline and tries to speak, "Rose-"

A piercing shriek sounded from where the woman had gone. Riley feels dread churn in his stomach as he walks down to the road. He turns the corner to see the woman on the ground. An arrow is stuck in her chest, inches above the babies' heads.

Caroline gasps and she bends down to the woman. "Ma'am, can you hear me? Wh-What happened?" Caroline is biting back tears.

"Arrow?" She looks down at her chest, and then back up at them. The woman is gasping. "Ali. . .Alistair." Her eyes focus on something behind them and she starts gasping. "T-Take care of them."

"We will," Riley says, glancing at Caroline. She doesn't seem to be paying attention to him. "Who's Alistair?"

The woman's gasps starts getting heavier. "R-Run."

"What?" Caroline spins around.

"Run!" The woman screams, and blood pulsed out around the arrow. "Run! He'll kill you! Take Terra, and Rosalie!" Tears trickles down her face. "Run, hurry!"

Riley scoops up one of the babies and takes off running. He glances back Caroline, and realizes that another woman had joined her. Caroline is crying and the woman rubs her shoulder, tears streaming down her own face. Caroline bends down to grab the other child, and Riley sees that the woman's eyes were on him. Who is she?

Riley laid there on the grass, staring up at the sky. He wished that Rosemary had been right next to him.

_ Six months had been a while, or. . . _He shakes away the thought. What if she had been with-child while she had met him?

He blinks as he finally stops running. He looks down at the baby girl in his hands. Her dark ginger hair doesn't match Rosemary's dark apple red but it is too easy to imagine that he is holding a piece of her in his hands. He and Rosemary had never done anything, Riley being forced to hide in plain sight, but what if they had? Would this beautiful little thing be the result of their love?

He walks on, blinking down at the baby in his arms every few seconds. What had the lady said? Take Rosalie and Terra? Which one did he have? Which one did Caroline have?

Eventually, when he is sure he was past Ladron's small borders, Riley sits down on the ground, one hand going to gently stroke the baby's cheek. Her skin is soft, much like Rosemary's had been when she had pulled him inside her room.

He smiled when he thought of what she had told the guards coming to arrest him. She was a smart one, and she knew what to say when. She was bergamot, or 'irresistible'.

The baby blinks her eyes open and he blinks his own eyes when he saw her pretty hazel eyes. He smiles, just picturing it. Rosemary, handing him this beautiful girl. What if it was hers?

He backtracks. It can't be Rosemary's.

He thought back to the moment he had woken up without the little girl, and remorse flooded him. Someone had obviously stolen her.

He looks around for a sign to tell him which road he was on. He wanders through the trees, searching for a trail.

Tired and shaky in the knees, he trips over his own feet and falls to his knees in front of a tree. He looks up, and sees that he was on the outskirts of Corona. Apparently a waterfall is miles away, and even more miles away from the waterfall was Corona.

Hope fills him. Riley could clean up in the palace, find a horse, and go back to Ladron. Rosemary could only be days away if he hurried.

But that had been months ago. Now, Riley was sure that he was lost. He hadn't seen another sign since, and he was starving.

_Looks like I'll never see my Rosemary again._

Fernidia's Point of View

Fernidia brushed past Adam, turning back to him. "He's really off trial?"

Adam was smiling, as was Guy, Nathan, Eugene, and Liam. David was at the square and hadn't heard the news yet.

"Looks like Michael can come back." Alex answered for Adam. "He hasn't given us any trouble, so why not? Mind you two, the king questioned him with Guy, and they both agreed to let him back."

"What did _you_ think?" Liam looked at Alex. "Aren't you the Medic of the Wardens?"

Alex started laughing a hoarse chuckle. "I see. Finally an accurate title for me. I wanted him out the moment they tied his hands. I'm fine with it."

Nathan punched the air, triumph making his face glow. "Excellent! I missed that bastard, I'll tell you."

Everyone in the room nodded in agreement. Who hadn't missed Michael?

"Where is he?" Fernidia asked, looking over at her younger sister to see her yank Azalea into the room. "Is he out yet?"

Guy nodded. "I saw him when I was walking here. He's stopped at his house." Guy suddenly fixed her with a questioning glance, and she looked away.

Azalea sat down on a chair, looking more awake than Fernidia had last seen her. "Morning, all."

"Morning." The queen smiled at Azalea who sleepily smiled back. Azalea got up to grab some toast.

"I'll be back," Fernidia was ecstatic at the thought of seeing Michael again. She didn't realize that Adam was following her until she had walked out into the hallways and he grabbed her arm.

"I'm glad he's out." Adam said, his eyes analyzing her face.

Fernidia nodded, and then realized what Guy had been hinting at. "I am too."

"Fernidia," Adam pulled her to a stop.

"I know." Fernidia looked back at him, wishing that her feelings of affection for the Dawson Brothers would go away. Why had she fallen for both of them? _How_ had she fallen for both of them?

"What's going to happen when he's out?" Adam wondered out loud for the both of them. "What's going to happen to. . . Us, when he comes out?"

"Is there an Us?" He went on. "You didn't come to me because you had no one else to turn to, did you?"

_How can you say that?_ She shook her head, squashing her anger down. "Of course not."

Adam peered into her eyes. "I just want to make sure. What if he asks for you back?"

"Adam, I don't want to talk about this." She took a step backwards, cringing. That day, the day she first started feelings fondness for Michael's older brother, she had told herself to back away. Now here she was, faced with what she had been trying to avoid.

"We're going to have to discuss it sooner or later." Adam was persistent. He followed her to town, saying words that she wished she couldn't hear. "I know he had you first, but that changed, didn't it? I don't know what I'd do if he asked for you back. He's my younger brother, so I'd have to. . . Are you listening to me?"

She walked faster, trying not to break into a run. She heard Adam calling her as she trotted to the square, but she ignored him.

Where was she running to? If only she could forget-

"I'm going to give you a card, and I want you to fold one corner, all right?" Adam asks her. Adam hands her an Ace of Clubs, and she folds the left corner of it.

"Fold it in half, and put it in your mouth." Adam instructs. He shows them his card: a Seven of Spades. Fernidia folds her card, and placed it in her mouth. Adam does the same.

"Now kiss me."

Fernidia arches her eyebrows. "Come again?"

"Then what do we do?" Michael nearly shouts. "If I kill him, I'll never live with myself. I would have to hurt you if you tried to help him. I'd have to kill so many people. . ." His voice breaks. "I'll forget everything if I do kill him, and I can't forget you!"

"You can save me."

"That's the trick, Ferns."

"Will Eugene be with us?"

"All right, check your card."

She bumped into something hard, and blinked. "I'm sorry," she said, glancing back to see where Adam was. He was yards behind her, his shoulders crossed, looking slightly agitated and worried.

"Everything all right, ma'am?" The young man in front of her was unfamiliar. "You've got tears in your eyes." He looked past her, and she could only assume that he was looking at Adam.

Fernidia scrambled to compose herself. She wiped her eyes quickly and nodded. "I'm fine."

The young man nodded, and she blinked when Adam said, "Hi, Jonas."

"Hi, Adam." Jonas smiled, and then she realized who he was: The older brother of Will, Jonathan Sion. "I have a package for Anna-Beth Lei Keen, and Fernidia Duname."

She blinked. "I'm Fernidia. It's for both of us?" How odd.

Jonathan nodded. "It is. It's from. . ." He shuffled the package around, and blinked. "It doesn't have an address, only a name: William. Do you still want it?"

Fernidia nodded. "Thank you," anything to keep Adam from chasing her. She grabbed the basket from him, and was momentarily surprised by its weight. What was in it?

She handed him a gold coin. "My friend Azalea got her book from Will. She says he did amazing."

Jonathan smiled. "Thank you, ma'am." His blue eyes go to Adam. "Bye, Adam."

Adam was quiet when they walked back to the palace. It was afternoon by then, but the sunlight was weak because there were clouds in the sky. She found the others in the Dining Hall. Anna was tickling with her son's little feet, laughing when he tried to pull them away.

"Hey, Fernidia." Michael was sitting down in his normal spot. She felt Adam go still behind her, and she put on a smile. She had missed him terribly but with Adam's words this morning, she almost felt like she had to avoid him.

"Hi, Michael. I'm glad you're back." She said. She could feel eyes on her and Adam and she tried to control the heat rising in her face.

"Glad to be back." Michael looked at his older brother. "Hey, stranger. How are you doing?"

"Perfect," Adam's eyes were boring a hole in the back of her head.

She walked down the aisle of the table, and set the basket down before she sat down across from Anna-Beth.

"We've got a package from a William." Fernidia smiled. Did she even know a William?

Alex sat up in his chair, and Fernidia saw everyone's eyes but hers and Olivia's dart to the man who was talking to her mother. Her mother laughed at something he said, but the laughter was abruptly taut. Had Fernidia said something?

"That's nice, we should thank him." Anna pulled away the blanket in the basket, pecking Dwayne's cheek when he picked up Sebastian to give her more room. Dwayne started bouncing Sebastian on his lap, chuckling –nervously chuckling- when Sebastian started hiccupping.

Fernidia saw a jar of tea inside, and saw a tiny orange beside the tea. She picked it up to set it on the table and blinked when she saw two small bouquets of flowers. Pascal looked up from his plate and dove into the basket. He pulled out the tiny orange and climbed out to sit beside the jar.

Anna grabbed two empty tea cups beside her and poured the tea inside. "Do you want to heat yours up?" She asked Fernidia, who had gently moved the bouquets from the basket.

She shook her head. "No, it's fine." She was aware that it was very quiet in the room, and looked around self-consciously. Anna bit her lip, and seeing her face turn pink, Fernidia assumed that she could feel the tension as well.

She handed one of the bouquets to Anna, and sniffed delicately at hers. She felt her head begin to spin a little and she put the flowers down. They smelled sweet, yet something was pungent about the aroma.

Anna sipped her tea, and took a whiff of the flowers. "They smell good." Fernidia saw Anna's eyes fog up a little. Anna's fingers holding the bouquet twitched.

Fernidia took a cautious sip of her tea and then started gulping it down. The tea was sweet as well, almost too sweet. Almost citrusy, like the orange Pascal was rolling around the table.

"It's like. . ." She found it hard to finish her sentence. "It's like someone poured sugar and honey in this and called it tea." Anna was nodding, sniffing a little harder at the flowers.

"You girls all right?" Alex's voice sounded next to her. She looked over to him, but then her head jerked back.

"F-F-" Anna stuttered. Her eyes were dulling, and Anna tried to put her bouquet down. "Fine," she managed, and then Fernidia was sipping more of her tea, subconsciously. She felt her head begin to spin faster. Anna's eyes started rolling back.

"T-This tea is b-bad," Fernidia couldn't speak. She felt her mind begin to shut down as the tea entered her system. She felt her jaw locking and tried to ask to Anna "What's happening?" but her throat was dry and she couldn't move her mouth.

"Fernidia?" Someone nudged her chair. She shook her head, not even sure if she was moving. She couldn't see Anna-Beth now, and she thrust herself back.

She heard her body hit the floor with a thud, but she couldn't get up. Someone started yelling, and then she could hear her mother shriek. Fernidia felt her body tense up, while she was still trying to get off the floor.

"Move the table so they don't hurt themselves!" A command being shouted by David.

"What was in the tea?"

"Diego, why the hell would you give them this?" Alex demanding.

"Eugene, I don't think Diego did it. Alex-" Rapunzel's soft voice, high pitched with stress.

"What the hell makes you think I would do this to them?" The man replying.

"Olivia, what herbs give a person convulsions?" Azalea's voice sounded right above her and she heard furniture being moved away.

Her younger sister sounded stuffy. "Um. . ."

"Olivia, think!"

"Bitter orange. . ." Olivia started going down a list. Betel nut. . . I think atractylate. . ." Olivia sniffled. "Who did this to them?"

Fernidia could hear Sebastian crying, and heard Sage sniffling. She couldn't make herself get up, though she could feel her body struggling to get off the floor. She couldn't see anything.

Gradually, gradually, she was able to open her eyes. She glimpsed a blurred Michael crouching above her. She felt a cloth wipe at her forehead, and realized that she had finally went still.

She sighed in relief, and it came out as a cough. She struggled to sit up, and was aware that Anna was coming to as well. The young woman slowly pulled her body to a sitting position, and confusion made her eyes blink as they gazed around.

"Why am I on the floor?" Anna asked, her voice hoarse. Fernidia stared around, and then realized that she had the same question.

"Did we fall?" Fernidia felt soreness in her muscles, and wondered why she felt so fatigued.

Alex was biting his lip and he and Dwayne helped them to a chair. "Do you remember what just happened?"

Anna nodded, and relief made the room relax. "I was feeding Sebastian in my room, and then I came out to eat and. . ." She trailed off. "Then I woke up on the floor feeling like I was just knocked over by Maximus."

The room tensed up again, and everyone turned to Fernidia. "What happened just now, Ferns?" Olivia asked her, and Fernidia could feel the Dawsons' eyes on her.

"I got a package from Jonathan, and I came back to. . ." Fernidia blinked in confusion.

Jonathan smiles. "Thank you, ma'am. Bye, Adam."

"Hey, Fernidia." Michael is sitting down in his normal spot.

"Hi, Michael. I'm glad you're back." She says.

"Glad to be back." Michael looks at his older brother. "Hey, stranger. How are you doing?"

"Perfect."

She walks down the aisle of the table, and sets the basket down before she sits down across from Anna-Beth.

"We've got a package from a William." Fernidia smiles.

"That's nice, we should thank him."

And that was all she could recall.

"I must have fainted or something," Fernidia wanted to wipe the concern off of their faces. "I do remember running from Adam."

Michael looked at his older brother and arched one eyebrow. Adam looked away, his eyes going dark.

"Maybe you two should rest," Queen Leah said from Anna's side. Fernidia looked at her, and stood up, feeling the surprising stiffness again. She nodded, and Anna took a step to Sebastian and winced.

Anna sucked in a tight breath and staggered to her son. Sarah had a scared look in her face when she handed Sebastian to Anna, and Sarah rubbed Anna's shoulder a moment. She exchanged a worried glance with Liam.

Fernidia took a few steps to the door and was surprised again when she found it hard walking. She managed to wobble to the door and fell against it, trying to regain her sense of balance.

"Who's William?" She heard Sage ask when Eugene opened the door for the two young women. "I don't think he's a nice man. He hurt Fernidi. . . He hurt Ferns and Anna."

Once out in the hall, Anna exchanged a fear-filled glance with Fernidia from Dwayne's side. Dwayne was holding Sebastian, and Anna looked somehow too exhausted to complain. She weakly waved.

Her mother was helping Fernidia to her room.

"What happened, Mother?" Fernidia asked when she gratefully sank down on the bed.

"You got a bad gift, that's all." Her mother stroked her hair, her eyes serious. "How do you feel?"

"I feel tired, and weak. I almost feel like I ate bad chicken and had been sick all morning."

"Sore?"

Fernidia nodded. "That as well."

Mother stood up, and pulled the covers up to Fernidia's collarbone. "I'll get you some water when I come back, all right?"

"All right. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Her mother walked to the door. "Wait, what time is it?"

"It's about mid-afternoon."

When her mother left, Fernidia stayed awake for a little while.

She was exhausted by midday today? How odd.


	97. Elements

K*H*W* (go to my profile :)

* * *

><p><span>Chapter Ninety Seven<span>  _Azalea's Point of View_

Azalea peeked in, looking for signs of distress. Fernidia was sleeping deeply, and Azalea wished she knew what had happened. _Betel nut and atractylate. _Who would give Anna-Beth and Fernidia the herbs?

She waved Nathan away. "She's all right."

A strange emotion darkened his eyes. "For now."

Anna-Beth's Point of View

Sebastian was crying.

She sniffled as she rocked him in her arms, each wail coming from him ripping her heart open. She cried with her son, baffled and dismayed that Sebastian was crying at all and she couldn't figure out why. Dwayne was sitting on his side of the bed, watching them, and she could see the cogs turning in his head as he gazed at them.

"Shush, Sebastian. It's okay." She mumbled through sobs. Why was Sebastian crying? And why so long? That had been her first clue. Sebastian hardly ever cried, and he had been crying for half an hour now after she nursed him. She tried nursing him again, but he moved his head away and wailed harder. "Why are you crying so?" She couldn't stop the flow of tears. What if Sebastian was crying because she was a terrible mother? What if Dwayne thought so, too, and he wouldn't tell her?

"Anna, let me take him." Dwayne's soft voice made the sobs heavier. Here she was, the mother of her son, crying Dwayne a river, and he was offering to help her? "Catch your breath. Let me take Sebastian."

Though she knew he wouldn't push her to let him hold Sebastian, Anna started to rock a little faster, trying to soothe herself. Sebastian was all right, not hurt in any way she could see, but why was he crying so much? And so hard? His little chest was heaving.

"A-All right." She handed her son to her fiancé, sobbing. She was cramping as hard as she was crying. The cramps had come out of nowhere, and she fought to gather her breath. "What do you think is wrong with him?" She gasped to Dwayne, her heart ripping further as she saw Dwayne rock Sebastian in his arms.

Dwayne shook his head. "He's not fussy at all. I can only think of. . ." His voice trailed off, and his gray eyes looked at where her arms were: wrapped around her stomach. He went quiet as he registered her heavy breathing and flustered face. "Are you all right?" His tone was very serious.

She bit her lip. "Either Richard squeezed another child in or. . ." She thought back to when Fernidia had come back with a basket. "What was in the basket?" She asked him.

"You're cramping?"

Anna-Beth nodded, and looked down. "What was in the basket?"

"It made you and Fernidia very sick." Dwayne looked away when she peeked back up at him. Anna nervously ran her fingers through her dark brown hair, trying to slow her breathing.

"Sick how?"

"Anna-"

"Sick _how_, Dwayne?" She moved to get off the bed. Dwayne quickly got up, still cradling Sebastian, and moved to the door.

"Don't move yet." Dwayne snipped.

She shook her head, confused at his aggressiveness. "Dwayne, let me go ask Stephanie."

"Don't move yet," Dwayne nudged her back to the bed, glaring at her when she didn't budge. "Lie down, Anna-Beth."

She bristled. "Let me through." _Anna-Beth_.

"Lie down!"

"Dwayne, let me go." Anna could feel the frustration stirring. She wanted to leave and Dwayne wasn't letting her through.

"Anna, go back to bed. I'll find out why Sebastian is fussing."

"Why can't I do it? I'm his mother."

"Anna-Beth, _please_."

"No! Now let me through!"

"Let me do it for you!" They started yelling at each other.

"I can handle walking!"

"Oh, you can? Look at you! You're about to fall down! Let me handle it!"

"You act like I'm helpless! I had a brief memory lapse, but I'm fine! Now, _let me through the door_!"

"You are not walking to the Dining Hall if I have anything to say about it!" Dwayne's eyes darkened in color and his hands clenched around Sebastian, who was beginning to wail louder.

"Now I have to come to you for permission to move? No, I'm leaving this room."

"You are going to sit down and-"

Anna ducked around him and flung the door open. Sebastian started screaming but at the moment she was so furious that she almost couldn't hear him.

"I'm going to talk to Stephanie and then I'll be right back." Anna staggered backwards, glaring at Dwayne.

"Come back in here." Dwayne's voice was chipped.

She wobbled away, stunned when it felt like she was walking on air. The cramps were hurting more and more as she walked down the hall, but she couldn't care. She had to get away from Dwayne.

"Anna-Beth!" Dwayne yelled at her. The hallways were stirring into life as Anna moved. She caught a glimpse of Olivia and Liam through the stupid tears falling from her eyes. "Anna-Beth! Get back in the room!"

She whirled around to him. "Dwayne, if you don't stop yelling at me!"

"You'll what? Throw a knife at me? I've got news for you: You can't hurt me at all." Dwayne exploded. Sebastian was gone from his arms, and she could hear shushes calming him.

Nathan and Eugene were staring at the yelling pair, and Rapunzel and Candace were biting their lips. Azalea was glaring at the two of them and Stephanie, Alex, David, and Guy were standing nearby.

"I know how I can!" She got up on her tip-toes. "Leave me alone. You don't want to hear it."

Dwayne's lips curled up in an angry smile. "Do I?"

"No." Anna wanted to punch his chest. "Now leave me alone."

She turned to the Dining Hall even though Stephanie was in the hallway with them.

"Anna-Beth, come back to the room!"

She heard Dwayne behind her and whipped around again, her hands clenched in fists. "Dwayne, shut the hell up!"

"Don't tell me what I need to do!"

"Then don't tell me to go back to the room when I am perfectly fine!" Anna screamed at him.

"Why are you fighting the idea that you need to rest so much?" Dwayne demanded.

She rubbed her temples. "Dwayne,"

"Anna-Beth, please come back-"

She started screaming at him. She ran off to the Dining Hall, and he was right behind her. "Dwayne Fernando, let me have time to think before I decide to kill you!"

The king and queen were inside, talking to Diego. They all looked up when Dwayne and Anna-Beth entered the room.

"Go ahead and do it! I have a bastard for a brother, my parents are dead, and technically I have no home!" Dwayne burst. Everyone followed them into the room, watching in absolute stunned silence.

"No home?" It stung. "I guess you have no son then, as well?"

"Well, Sebastian happens to belong partly to a bastard who decided he didn't want you, so-"

She scooped up an empty plate and threw it at him. "Don't you _ever_ talk about Richard!" He ducked, and the plate crashed to the floor.

Dwayne's eyes turned livid and he knocked a chair over. The king and queen started to call order, but Dwayne's next words made them freeze. "Why not? That's what happened, isn't it?"

"_Shut up_!" Anna hurled herself over the table at him. He caught her and fell down. She threw punches to his chest, the cramps burning her abdomen. "Just shut up, Dwayne! Keep your opinions to yourself!"

"I can't stay," Richard winces.

"Why not? The baby's yours, you realize that, right?" Anna clings to his arm.

"I would have stayed, if you hadn't gotten with-child. You're amazing in bed, and the baby will slow us both down." Richard glowers at her like it was her fault.

"You asked me to marry you!" Anna feels the blood rushing up to her ears. She is going to faint. "You. . . You don't want the. . . Our. . ."

Richard helps her sit down. "I'd love to have a baby with you. In fact, I'll do us a favor. I'll get rid of the baby, and then when we're married, we'll have another."

Get rid of the baby? "But. . . This is our first . . . It wouldn't be the same." Anna breathed. Get rid of their baby?

"It's my deal. We'll have another, Anna-Beth." He kisses her nose, but his warm touch feels cold to her. Who is he? He is a stranger now.

"I can't get rid of our baby. Not our first! Not any. . ." She gazes up at him through tears. "Do you understand? Why can't we have the baby and then be married?"

Richard shakes his head. "No."

"But do you understand what I'm saying?"

"I understand that you don't want me."

She feels her heart rip in two. "Richard. . ."

"Bye, Anna-Beth."

"Don't move." Nathan helps her to the washroom. "No blueberries, no pineapple. No lamb stew and no chicken. I got this." He is tallying all the things that gave her morning sickness.

"Don't tell me not to move," Anna feels crabby. She rinses her mouth out and chews on peppermint. "I adore lamb stew!" She pouts.

Nathan's gentle face cracks into a smile. "Right, right," he ruffles her hair. "Still, be more careful."

He had been telling her that every day.

"The next man who tells me not to move, I'm going to throw something at him." Anna says fiercely. Nathan chuckles for a moment, and hands her a cup of tea. She pulls it to her nose cautiously. Nathan goes still.

"Anything?"

"It's safe," Anna eyes Nathan. "So you haven't been trying to poison me?"

Nathan shakes his head, laughing harder. Then the laughter is cut off as he thought of something. "How did Richard take it?"

She shakes her head at him, trying to crush the tears that she can already feel surfacing. Nathan gets up and rubs her shoulder.

"Anything I can do?"

"Beat the hell out of him."

Nathan smiles but it isn't his smile. It is a smile that her father used when he came home. A smile that promises violence.

Dwayne grabbed her fists and then she cracked her head against his. She used to fight her father off. She knew all the tricks.

"Anna-Beth-"

"Stop calling me that!" She jumped off of him. "My name is Anna to you! Not Anna-Beth!" Richard never called her Anna. It was always _Anna-Beth_.

She felt arms yank her away from Dwayne, and the cologne told her it was Nathan. She pulled away, glaring at Dwayne and now Nathan. She brushed past him and walked out of the room.

She felt no pursuit behind her and she found her vision dimming when she made it to the square.

Dwayne was so pushy. He was always kind to her, and to others, but when he needed to get his way, he got his way.

Anna blinked when the weak sunlight hurt her eyes. What was happening? Her skin was on fire and she managed to find a tavern to use their washroom. When she walked back out, rain was sprinkling down onto her skin. It helped some but now she found that she couldn't recognize where she was.

She glimpsed a water fountain and she sat down on the stone ground, trying to remember something. Where was she? She could feel her muscles locking as she began to panic.

"Ma'am?"

Who was that? Was it Dwayne? She staggered to her feet, looking at the face. _Who_ was that? She couldn't recognize the face or the voice.

"I think I'm lost," her voice sounded strange. Slurred.

"Ma'am, can you hear me?" From far away, she could feel hands shaking her. She fell back, unable to hold herself up. The panic that seared her muscles made her want to get up but she was dizzy and couldn't see.

"Someone get help!"

She couldn't hear anymore. She felt the rain begin to pour on her blissfully cold skin, and she could feel herself shrinking inside herself.

She wanted to tell Dwayne she was sorry. She wanted to apologize to Sebastian, who had cried enough for an entire lifetime. She wanted to wish Nathan luck on asking Azalea for marriage.

She suddenly knew that she was going to sleep for a long time.

The panic and cramps were still there, each trying to beat the other in discomfort. She could no longer feel the floor under her, nor could she feel the rain anymore.

"If a memory makes a girl cry, then it was only the elements of the memory." Those had been Dwayne's words.

She remembered how the morning had gone, and she could feel tears trickling from under her –closed?- eyelids.

Or maybe it was the rain.


	98. Mark My Words

K*H*W* (go to my profile :)

* * *

><p><span>Chapter Ninety Eight<span>

"Dwayne, why would you yell at her?" David was growling.

Dwayne still looked upset. "I was caught in the moment. I need to find her and apologize."

"You bastard!" Nathan was the most upset. "You. . . You. . . Why the hell would you yell when she was already upset?"

"Nathan, I-"

Nathan groaned and put his head in his hands. "I trusted her with you. If she's hurt, I'm going to _kill_ you." His green eyes were sparking rage, and I saw Azalea looking empathetic with Dwayne.

"You all need to calm down." Candace snapped. "Azalea and Sarah, can you go find her?"

I spoke. "I don't think Diego did it."

"What?" Nathan and Dwayne turned to me. "What do you mean?"

"Everyone is throwing accusations. We need to ask questions." I thought back to the herbish taste in the hazel nut soup and the same strange taste in the honey at the Feast. "Who knows where atractylate is? Who knows where betel nut is?"

"Olivia." Dwayne answered. They all looked at the maiden, who was sweeping up the glass.

"I wouldn't poison anyone with it." Olivia looked strained.

"Poison?" Dwayne gasped. Azalea gasped as well, her mouth a small _o_.

"Do you know what those herbs do?" My mother asked her.

The room was very quiet. Olivia wiped sweat from her forehead. "Separate, the herbs are painkillers. Together, they give cramps, dizziness. Other side effects too."

"Like?" Nathan sat down, the anger burying itself in his eyes.

Olivia sat down onto the floor as if her legs couldn't hold herself up anymore.

"Like?" My father gazed down at her.

Olivia's whisper was very quiet:

"People who take it. . . They lapse into comas."

The room went into a stunned silence. Except me.

"I can heal them then, right?" I started mumbling to myself. "I can bring them out of a coma, because of my hair. . ."

"Rapunzel," Olivia said, "your hair only heals _physical_ wounds. Not mental ones."

"What about Azalea then?" Michael asked. "She saved our friend Nathan."

Everyone glanced at her by Nathan's side.

_What about Azalea?_ I gazed at her, tipping my head to the side. What if she could heal too?

_Azalea's Point of View_

She followed Sarah through the misty rain. "She wouldn't be out in this, Sarah. Anna's smarter than that."

"She is; you're right." Sarah turned back to her and Azalea was glad that they both hadn't worn white or gray. "Where's her home?"

Azalea shrugged remorsefully. "I don't know." Why hadn't they brought Nathan with them?

Soaked to the skin, Sarah led her to a tavern. They sank down onto chairs, wringing their hair out. "Where could she be?" Azalea wondered out loud.

"Ma'am, are you looking for someone?" A young man nudged her. She looked up to see Will.

"Hi, Will." Azalea and Sarah sat up. "Have you seen a woman with dark brown hair and green eyes?"

Will's bright blue eyes went dark. "What's her name?"

"Anna-Beth."

An older version of Will appeared by Sarah's side. "We found a woman like her by the water fountain."

Relief flooded her. "You have? Where is she?"

Will and his older brother led them to the washroom. Jonathan held the door open for Sarah and Azalea to walk in.

Azalea covered her mouth with her hand in shock. Anna was lying on the floor, her skin dewy and her clothes were soaked. She was breathing heavy and slow, her skin was pale.

"What happened?" Sarah's scared voice broke the silence.

"I was on my rounds," Jonathan began explaining. "And I saw a few of Coronans crowded around her. I pushed in front so I could see and there she was. She looked sick and her hands were around her tummy," Jonathan wrapped his hands around his sides to demonstrate. "She was trying to get up at first, but then she went. . ." A peculiar tone entered his voice. "Still."

"I carried her in and Will got the washroom reserved for her in case people try to come and get her." Jonathan peered at them. "You're her friends?"

They both nodded and Azalea's heart went cold when she gazed at Anna-Beth. "Thank you," her voice caught in her throat. She glimpsed Jonathan shoo Will out of the room.

"Can you help us get her back inside the palace?" Sarah asked, her voice husky as she bit back tears.

Jonathan gently scooped Anna-Beth up, and Sarah and Azalea shared a worried glance.

_Rapunzel's Point of View_

I was in shock.

"When will she wake up?" Dwayne looked as if he could hardly breathe gazing at her. I sank down onto the bed, my eyes stuck on Anna-Beth's unconscious face.

Olivia was sobbing. "I-I don't know."

"Rapunzel, _please_." Nathan was pacing the room. "You have to do something. H-H. . . How will Sebastian eat?"

Dwayne shot him a tortured glance. "Why the hell would you even mention him?"

"He's her _son_!" Nathan's head snapped to Dwayne. "Why the hell wouldn't I mention him?"

"What's wrong with her?" Will asked from the threshold of the door. It was past sunset now but we were all too upset to eat. Father and Mother kept peeping in on us. Alex was calming Azalea down, who had finally burst into tears. Sarah was rocking Sebastian in her arms, dried tearstains on her cheeks. Sage was with his father, somewhere I didn't know.

"She's been poisoned by a bastard who will sure as hell die by my hands!" Nathan put his head against the wall, "H-He. . . I am going to kill him! Mark my words." Nathan's hands turned into claws as he began pacing again.

Dwayne gazed up at his unconscious fiancé from his knees. "If she had only listened to me. . ."

"Anna's a stubborn cat." Nathan fussed. "She never listened to me anyway." He glanced at his younger sister. "I just want her to wake up."

"What can I do?" Olivia asked.

Dwayne looked at her from where he was. "Isn't there something that would wake her up?"

Olivia bit her lip and then she left the room. Dwayne groaned and his hand found Anna's. Azalea caught my worried gaze and then she left the room as well.

I didn't realize it when the room was empty after I sat down. Anna looked so peaceful, yet strained at the same moment. I nudged her arm, expecting her to awake but nothing happened.

"Wake up," I nudged her harder. She couldn't see how much Nathan and Dwayne needed her. "Anna, wake up." Sebastian, having been alive for a week and a half now, needed her more than ever.

Azalea opened the door and she looked calmer. "Nothing?"

I confirmed it. Anna wasn't waking up, not on her own.

Azalea sat down on Anna's other side and her hand probed Anna's forehead. "Did you try singing?"

I shook my head. "Why don't you try?" Hope made me have butterflies in my stomach. Azalea had healed Nathan; I hadn't been able to bring him back. Maybe she had some of my powers and used it differently.

Azalea nodded, and then her hand stayed by Anna's cheek. " '_Flower gleam and glow. Let your power shine. Make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine_.' " Her hair began to bleach to silver and the bright glow made me want to squint. I saw hope in Azalea's black eyes. " '_Heal what has been hurt. Change the fate's design. Save what has been lost. Bring back what once was mine. What once was mine_. . .' " Azalea pulled her hand away.

When Azalea's hair dimmed back to its normal color of golden blond, we watched Anna's face closely.

After about an hour, I finally spoke. "Maybe the healing is delayed?" The hope left me feeling hollow.

Azalea shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "Maybe I was never able to heal."

"Why does your hair glow then?" Azalea looked away, and then we heard a gasp for air.

"D-Dwayne?" Anna-Beth sat up, looking around wildly. Her green eyes were very disoriented. "Where is he?"

Azalea ran out the door, and I caught her in a hug.

"Don't go back to sleep."

Anna rolled her sleepy green eyes. "Of course not. I feel like I've slept for days."

"More like one going on two."

Dwayne walked into the room, and he caught her in a kiss. "I'm so sorry," she wailed.

"Don't be. I was goading you into throwing that plate at me." Dwayne amended. "I'm sorry too."

"You also goaded me into tackling you."

"Because I can see where this is going, I'll watch Sebastian for you," Candace appeared in the door.

"Why?" Anna asked but I shot her a glance, gesturing at the two of them with my hands. They were molded so closely together you'd think that they were glued there. "Ah, I see."

"Is she awake?" Sage crawled around Candace. "She is! Good. . . Good morning!"

"I slept a day away?" Anna looked dismayed.

"More like one going on two." Candace smiled, and then she waved Sage away. "I'll see you soon; it's actually just before midnight."

"Where are you all going?" Anna asked us.

I saw Dwayne catch her in another kiss, one that was much more heated, before I closed the door. _I'll see them in the morning_. I laughed. Were me and Eugene like that once?

The Dining Hall erupted into applause and Nathan and Father Peter grabbed Azalea into a hug.

"You are amazing!" Father Dante clapped Azalea on the shoulder. "I can't wait for. . . How are you, Nathan?"

Azalea looked confused, but then Alex came up to her holding a plate of pineapple and she was momentarily distracted. Eugene caught me in a strategic hug and then the night passed by in a happy blur as we all sat down telling stories and joking about Michael, who looked overjoyed to see Fernidia. I thought I saw him lazily glare at his older brother but it was gone before I could be sure.

When we finally made it back to bed, I was exhausted.

"Eugene?"

"So you haven't passed out yet!" Eugene tilted my face to his. "Good to see you, Blondie."

I smiled and kissed his nose. "Can we go to the library tomorrow?" Mother had told me, amidst all the chatter tonight, that the library had updated the Corona Civilian Book, which was basically a document about the civilians and royalty in Corona about family trees. Father had insisted around the time Eugene and I became engaged to catch myself up on the family trees in Corona but the document hadn't been updated in months. Now that it was finally up to date, I could obey my father; besides I was really curious as well.

"Anything you want." Eugene pulled the covers over us, his hand going to my belly. "Night Flynn and Anora."

_Oh right._ Why update myself, when even I wasn't going to be around for much longer? I bit my lip as I sunk into sleep.


	99. Starting Over and a Missed Birthday

K*H*W* (go to my profile :)

* * *

><p><span>Chapter Ninety Nine<span>

I wiped my forehead as I looked over the names. I was still a generation behind and I had been looking over the document for hours.

"Still at it?" I blinked up to see Sarah. I smiled at her and remembered that she was one of the library helpers.

"Did you know that your great-great grandmother's name was Ann-Marie?"

Sarah sat down. "Did you know that your unborn children's names are Flynn and Anora?"

"Touché." I smiled at her.

Sarah waved it away, and then her eyes lit up. "We get to surprise Sage today!"

I smiled brighter. "I can't wait to see the look on his face."

Sarah nodded. "He's missed his birthday, and his father was gone. I just wish I could give him a hug."

"You can, he's your son." I pushed the document aside.

Sarah shook her head. "No. I'm pretending to be adamant to him."

I gasped. "But he'll think you hate him!"

"Which will make the surprise sweeter." Sarah's words contradicted the brief sad look in her eyes.

"Mother, I can't find Father!" Sage ran up to us, a little wobbly in the knees. She glanced at him and then away. I bit my lip. "Where is he?"

"I don't know. He said he'd be in the Dining Hall."

"But I asked Adam and he said he was gone." Sage's lips turned upside down. "Gone where? Is Father back at the warden's place again?" I tried not to laugh. Here Sage was, thinking that his father had committed a crime. It was cute, but the thought made me a little sad. Did Sage always worry about one of his parents leaving now?

No, no. He's at the Dining Hall." Sarah looked down at her son and her eyes squinted. "Ask Fernidia to help you."

"But she's sleeping."

"Sleeping how?" I asked, alarm in my voice.

Sage looked up at me with blue-gray eyes. "She's sleeping like Ian, Punzie."

"Okay, then ask Nathan."

"But I can't find him either." Wistfulness filled Sage's eyes. "Can _you_ help me?"

"I'm helping Rapunzel with family trees." I struggled to keep from gaping. _I don't want to look at family trees anymore_. For the sake of her cover, I stayed quiet.

"But, Mother, please?"

Sarah bit her lip and shook her head. "Father will show up soon."

Sage sighed, and started to walk away. He glanced back at us, and then left the library. Sarah's eyes began to swell.

I turned to Sarah, and I couldn't stop the words. "That was cruel, Sarah."

"I know, I know!" Sarah put her head on the table and started sobbing.

_Azalea's Point of View_

Azalea was lying on the bed, trying not to be bored. She looked around, wondering why Nathan and Liam had insisted for her to stay in the palace. She obeyed, only because she had no idea what she would do out in town.

"Azalea," the familiar tone of the _l_ being a _w_ made her look up.

"Hi, Sage."

Sage was crying. "I-I. . .I-I. . ." He fell on the bed and she picked him up by his underarms.

"What's wrong, Sage?" Azalea's heart ached. "Why are you crying?"

"No one w-wants me around!" Sage cried. "I can't find Ace, David, Ferns, Liv, Father, Mother, Punzie, Adam, Michael, or Ian, Dwayne, and Anna." He fretted. She was momentarily stunned to listen to him recall all their names so quickly. Then she heard the first words he said.

"That can't be true!" Azalea pulled him to her lap with him facing her. She wiped the tears from his eyes, though more flowed. "Who told you that?"

"No one d-did," Sage wept. "I t-thought of it b-by myself."

"You assumed it?"

Sage nodded, and then his tiny body froze. "What does assume mean?"

"What you said. You thought of it by yourself."

Sage sniffled. "Then yes."

"You know what they say about assuming things?"

"N-No."

"It makes a donkey out of you and me."

Sage wiped away tears. "You mean. . .The _a_ word?"

Azalea flinched. Who had been swearing in front of this boy? "Do you know what the _a_ word is?"

Sage nodded. "It's-"

"Don't say it!" Azalea stopped him just in time. She patted herself on the back mentally and got off the bed, holding Sage's hand. She breathed on the window, fogging it up, and looked at the little boy. "Write it."

Sage made a shaky _a_. Then two _p_s and an _l_ and _e_. "Apple." He looked at her.

Azalea blinked. "Okay." _Sure, sure._

Sage looked at the window, glanced at her, then looked back at the window. "Wow!"

"What is it?" Azalea moved to his side.

She gasped when she caught a glimpse of the square. She saw blue streamers and people rubbing blue charcoal on the ground. She grabbed Sage and pulled him away; it was probably for his birthday party-

It all made sense now. Nathan and Liam wanted her to stay from the square so she could keep Sage from leaving the palace and seeing all the decorations!

"What?" Sage managed to exclaim before her hands began to run along his sides as she began tickling him. "No, no!" Sage screamed in delight.

They started wrestling, each one trying to tickle the other. Sage began to wriggle to the front of the bed, and his hand grabbed a pillow.

"Not the pillow, not the pillow!" Azalea shrieked playfully before the pillow went crashing against her face.

She reached up blindly to grab one and slammed it against Sage's chest. He began laughing, and the sound made her laugh as well.

* * *

><p>They must have wrestled, tickled, and flung pillows around for ages. She finally somehow rolled off the bed and Sage fell on top of her. They lapsed into hysterical laughter.<p>

Azalea peeled the pillows off her, confused when the laughter from Sage began to turn into sobs. "What's wrong? I thought you were having fun."

Sage bit his lip. "I. . . I-I was. I used to do that all the t-time with Mother a-and Father, and then when F-Father left I couldn't do it. T-then Father c-came back, but Mother w-was gone."

Azalea wrapped him in a hug. "It's okay. They're both here now. They won't leave you again."

"H-how can you be sure?"

Hadn't she asked Nathan a question using the very same phrase? "Parents don't leave you forever, as you can see, Sage, they find a way to come back." She thought back to her own mother, and then the father that she had never known.

"I want to believe you, but I can't." Sage's tiny hands wrapped around her tighter.

"You don't have to. Time will help you believe." She sat there holding Sage until the tears finally stopped.

Sage got up to use the washroom, and when he came back, his face was dry. "Thank you, Auntie Azalea."

_Auntie_? Azalea felt touched. "You're welcome."

She heard a pebble go _clink_ on the window. She glanced at the window to see Nathan's handsome face. He mouthed, 'get ready' and disappeared from sight.

"Why don't we change clothes, hm?"

Sage nodded. "Okay."

When he left to the room across the hall, she went to the washroom. She pulled out a gown with a skirt that stopped right below her knees. It was a pretty daisy pink and it had no sleeves.

Now was a good time to start over. She pulled the dress on and squelched the nausea that rose when she instantly recalled the last time she had worn a sleeveless dress.

She left her hair alone, and looked at her bare shoulders to see the healed pink lines.

Sage knocked on the bedroom door and she opened it. "Oh, look at you!" He was wearing a white cotton shirt, dark khaki pants, and black boots. He looked like a tiny version of Liam.

Sage looked up at her and smiled. "Your dress is pretty." Sage's speech was adorable. Then he paused when she crouched down to ruffle his hair. "What happened to your arms?" He gently touched the lines on her shoulders.

She struggled to find words. "A knife incident." She decided.

Sage went somber. "Did it hurt?"

Why lie? "Yes." She tried to distract him. "But it's over now. Come on."

"Where are we going?" Sage asked, excitement in his voice.

"It's a surprise." She smiled at the concentration that darkened his face.

The palace was very quiet, almost dead silent. It unnerved Sage, she could tell because he stared straight ahead, his hands trembling. It seemed like the entire palace was empty.

"It's quiet," Sage said eventually, looking around as they neared the gate.

"It is." Azalea tried to calm her own nerves. She was relieved when they made it to the square.

Music began to play when they walked on the stone ground. She saw many smiling faces when she and Sage arrived. Sage looked around.

"What's going on?" Sage blinked when they made it to the middle of the square. He went quiet when he looked down. The entire kingdom must have been in the square.

Rapunzel and Candace were sitting on the bench, beaming smiles on their face. Eugene was helping Nathan carry a platter of whiskey around, and Anna was bouncing Sebastian on her lap. David and Adam were lighting up torches and Michael and Fernidia were grabbing three pears to hold. Maya was readjusting a streamer on a wooden beam, before she turned to smile at Sage.

Sarah and Liam were standing by the water fountain, gazing at Sage with proud looks in their eyes. The king and queen were handing out Corona flags and Alex and Diego were talking to the main musician in charge, a man she had yet to know.

There was a deep blue Corona copy of the Corona flags on the stone ground in front of the water fountain. Sage looked around more closely. There were streamers on every house and even some flowed into the water fountain, which was bubbling with lavender tinted water. The vendors were selling nothing but frosted cupcakes and warm bread rolls with icing on top. All of the people around them were smiling and Sage had to suck in a breath.

They screamed it all at once, and Sarah and Liam rushed to Sage to wrap him a hug.

"Happy Birthday, Sage!"

Sage gazed around with wide blue-gray eyes, and a breathtaking smile lit up his face.

**Nathan's Point of View**

He started laughing when Sage started bouncing up and down. Azalea grinned, and then they all quickly made circles when the musicians began to play.

Anna's hand found Nathan's and she smiled at him. He smiled back, and then they started to turn, their feet moving in sync.

They went to the right first, and then they went to the left. Anna was giggling when they turned to the left. They started clapping, and then every broke off into pairs.

Anna and Nathan bounced around each other, stopping to clap again. Then she traded off with Maya.

They paused to clap, and then Nathan traded off with Liam and Olivia. The musicians didn't stop. They just kept going, playing faster. One chuckled when Sage tried to trade with Nathan. Sage traded spots with Adam and they clapped.

Nathan was grinning. _Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap._

Olivia traded spots with Azalea.

"Fancy meeting you here." Nathan smiled crookedly at her.

Azalea and Nathan had to stop to clap before she could say anything. _Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap_.

"Hi, Nathan." She grabbed his hands again when the music began to reach its peak.

"Hi yourself," they stopped to clap again. The sound echoed and bounced off the stone walls of the cottages. The entire kingdom knew the movements for the dance.

Someone grabbed his hand and pulled him away. He bounced around the water fountain holding Fernidia's hand. "Ask her yet?"

"I have two weeks."

Fernidia sighed. "Everyone knows now but her."

Nathan shrugged, and then he was dancing with Olivia again. "Ask her yet?"

"I have two weeks." Nathan hardly broke stride.

Then he was dancing with Sarah.

"Ask her yet?"

"I have two _weeks_." The late afternoon sun caused the air to heat up.

"Sorry," Sarah apologized. "We're just impatient."

Nathan rolled his eyes playfully. "She'll find out when she does."

Sarah swapped places with Azalea.

"You looked irritated for a moment. What was wrong?"

"They were asking me why you are so beautiful." The sunlight was bringing out deeper shades of golden blond in her hair, and her dark eyes didn't seem so dark. Her skin was red with the heat of the sun and from dancing.

"Michael pinched me." Azalea complained, gesturing to the crease of her arm with her head.

"Sorry," Nathan chuckled. She was so. . . Cute. Feisty. Charming. And other words he couldn't mention.

They paused to clap, twirling one last time and then the song was over.

Adam and Michael took the floor, beginning to juggle the pears. Sage _ooh_ed in astonishment Michael tossed Rapunzel one, who handed it to Candace. Fernidia caught the one Adam tossed to her, and then the Dawson Brothers threw the pears into the crowd. Sage caught one of them, and smiled brightly.

Then Eugene carefully handed Adam a torch, the tip was glowing with fiery red flames.

"Who bets I'll drop it?" Adam smirked.

A woman screamed in awed fright when Adam began to throw it in the air, catching the next one that Eugene threw to him. David tossed Adam the next one, and then Adam began to throw them up higher.

Sage grinned when Adam caught one of the torches before blowing it out. He did the same with the other two, and then ducked when Michael tried to hit him with one of the torches; the both of them were laughing.

The crowd threw gold coins at Adam, and Nathan saw Eugene hand a small bag of coins to Michael, who nodded his thanks.

And then the crowd swarmed around Nathan and Azalea. Candace and Rapunzel, who had sat down the entire song, began to throw flower petals at them. David dumped a bucket full of the petals on Azalea's head, and Nathan smiled when he saw some tangle in her hair.

Liam tossed roses at them from afar. Azalea caught one and blinked. "Why are you throwing this at us?"

Eugene smirked. "Too early, guys. Too early." He pretended to glare at Nathan.

"Engagement!" Sage exploded, jumping away from his mother and father who looked at him sharply. "Nathan, and Azalea, and engagement!"

"What?" Azalea put her head in her hands. "Are you hinting at something? I am _no_ closer to whatever it is." She paused, and the crowd went still, the music gone. "Engagement?" She breathed, and then looked at Nathan.

Everyone stiffened, except for Nathan and Michael, who exploded into action. _Time to improvise_.

"Whose house is unlocked?" Michael asked.

A woman raised her head and pointed to the house across from where they were. Nathan didn't need any more encouragement than that. He grabbed Azalea by the arm and yanked her toward the cottage.

"Sage," Nathan paused, ignoring Azalea who was beginning to struggle. "Happy Birthday."

"Thank you," Sage managed to call to them before Nathan pushed Azalea inside.


	100. Erase

Chapter One Hundred **Nathan's Point of View**

He closed the door and tried to ease his breathing. What if she had figured it out? _Damn. Another test, then._ His side was hurting a little, though it was healing nicely. He could handle it.

"Azalea?" He turned around. She was sitting on the floor, looking around the empty house.

"Why are we in someone else's house?" Azalea asked. The petals in her hair went blood red because of the gloom. Azalea's hair turned a duller shade of sun gold and her faint pink skin seemed redder than it was when they were outside.

"I need to try something," Nathan breathed. He was sure he couldn't handle this. The last time, it had taken all of his self-control to get off her, and now here they were. Alone. _Again_.

Azalea gulped and stood up. He saw the absence of sleeves and blinked. "Your sleeves. . ."

"I know." Azalea looked down self-consciously. "I decided to try. . ."

"It's nice." Nathan walked up to her, his eyes drawn to her face, and then the lines on her shoulders. "You look very nice."

"Edible?"

Nathan nodded. "Yes, that would be a wise word to use." How was he going to do this?

Azalea smiled shyly. "If you say so."

Nathan went to lean against the wall, watching her.

She looked up at him from where she stood. "Something the matter?"

"Sage is funny, isn't he?"

Azalea nodded, looking relieved for a conversation. "He says the strangest. . ." Her eyes went wide and she gasped. Good. She remembered. Now he had to make her forget.

"Nathan-"

He dashed up to her, and kissed her fiercely, hoping to erase her mind by that alone before he'd have to go further.

Hearing her sigh as their lips crashed together told him that he'd have to go further. Much further.

_Azalea's Point of View_

"Nathan, stop!" She squealed, trying to remember how to move her legs so she could crawl away. Nathan had her pinned to the floor, lying right on top of her, his lips in the crook of her neck.

"Tell me, what were you trying to remember?" Nathan breathed, causing her to squirm.

"Um, engagement-" Nathan nipped at her neck and she moaned. "Sage and engage-" She moaned again. "S-stop!"

"Did he mention me?" Nathan's hands went to her waist, staying there. He didn't need to pin her down with his arms anymore because her struggles waned as she found it hard to concentrate.

"N-no. . . Wait, yes?" He nipped harder and she gasped. "Sage. . . A-and. . ." Nathan began to suckle her neck. "He said y-your name," Azalea couldn't think. "Then. . . Damn."

"Anything else?" Nathan's voice was husky when he pulled away. He sat up on her lap, watching her.

"Sarah and Liam l-looked u-upset." She gasped out, trying to pull herself away. Her head was spinning.

Nathan's luminous green eyes stared right at her, then up and down her body. She flushed red, the thought of him staring at her with such. . . Lust. It made the ache begin to flare.

"Can I get up now?" Azalea breathed, trying to clear the dizziness away.

Nathan got off her and pulled her to her feet. She staggered a step backwards when his eyes suddenly filled with the same way he was looking at her: lustily. Seductively. She couldn't breathe.

She took another step back. "What did he mean, Nathan?" Why was he trying to make her forget? "What did Sage mean?"

Nathan looked down at the floor. "I didn't want to have to do this, but I have been practicing with Eugene. Damn, well, here it comes."

He lifted up his head slowly. When he looked back up at her, she was stunned. His eyebrows were slanted and his deep green eyes were glowing. His face was an exact replica of Eugene's 'smolder'.

Her mind  
>emptied as she gazed at him.<p>

"W-what. . .H-how. . ." Azalea stuttered. "E-Eugene taught you t-that? . . . That's the 'smolder'. . ."

He looked. . .

Like he was ready to make love.

She blinked when he relaxed his face. She sucked in a tight breath, and she felt her vision darken. Nathan gasped when her body tilted forward and then he sat her down on the floor.

"Azalea?" He shook her. "Azalea?"

She had to blink and shake her head to clear it. "H-how did you do that?"

"Do what? Are you all right?" Nathan stared into her eyes, his hands on her shoulders.

"Y-you. . .You bedazzled me." Azalea could feel the shock on her face. "I was about to faint!"

Nathan smiled and she flinched back. "Don't do it again!" She put her head in her hands. "My goodness."

"What's wrong? I'm supposed to be bedazzling." Nathan tried to sound innocent.

"I know. It was amazing, Nathan." Her voice went soft. She gazed at him, still feeling the shock and _lust_ in her eyes. How strange that she could identify what the ache was. "Come here."

Nathan leaned in. "What is it, Doll?"

She pulled him in for a heated kiss, summoning the feelings she had felt when Nathan had done his 'smolder'. Eventually, they broke apart and Nathan had to gather his breath.

"You see?"

"Damn, well. . ." Nathan blinked. "I can't think of words."

She sighed, and then smiled when Nathan kissed her again. She got up on her knees to kiss him better, and then they tipped backwards. Nathan pulled her closer to him. Then Nathan sat up with her in his lap. He got to his feet and her legs wrapped themselves around his waist. Her dress rode up to her waist.

"Where are we going?"

Nathan seemed unable to speak. His eyes were shimmering and he walked into one of the rooms. He peered in, and then he stumbled when she started laying kisses on his neck.

"Where are we going?" She asked again.

"A wall." Nathan smiled and then she felt her back press against something.

Nathan began to kiss her more passionately, and their lips began to crash together in wild ways that didn't make sense but felt so _good_. She gasped when he molded her to the wall, his hands going along her bare thighs, and her hands entangled in his hair. Nathan smiled when a rose petal fell from her hair right below her collarbone.

Her breath hitched when he dove his head down to pluck it up with his teeth, spitting it away, and then he started kissing in the same spot. She began to see stars and her lips gently kissed his eyelids, and then went to his temples. She moved her head to gently graze her teeth on Nathan's earlobe.

Far away, someone knocked on the front door but they didn't hear. Nathan moved away from the wall, smiling when her legs stayed close to his waist. He closed the open door and locked it.

"No interruptions." Nathan smirked lustily at her. She moaned when he pushed her back against the wall. His hands went to her thighs again, and she pushed her chest against his, her own hands going to unbutton his vest. He shrugged it away and they broke apart.

She landed on her feet and she began to help Nathan out of his cotton shirt. Her hands wandered to his chest and she groaned at how soft his skin was. Was his skin softer than hers?

Nathan's hands went to her bodice laces and when his hands gently stroked her bare shoulders, she found it hard to see straight. He helped her out of the straps and her hands went to unbuckle the belt that held his pants up.

They stayed in their undergarments, standing still, facing each other. The knocks grew more insistent, and then she heard the front door open.

"Nathan?" Liam called. "Come out; I'm sure she's forgotten now." He chuckled for a moment, and then realized how quiet the house was. "Azalea?"

Nathan's eyes glowed as he gazed at her, smiling. "You're beautiful."

"And you're godly handsome." Azalea smirked at him.

"Azalea? Nathan?" Liam's voice rang through the house.

She pouted. They reluctantly shuffled back into their clothes. Nathan quietly unlocked the door, and then he quickly tip-toed to the back of the house.

She smiled when she saw a door on the wall and Nathan gently turned the doorknob. It creaked, and she heard footsteps rapidly move toward them. She caught a glimpse of Liam as he spotted them and then she shoved herself through the door.

Nathan slammed it back and she felt giddiness surge through her. They ran fast, ducking under streamers. She saw her house and she grabbed Nathan's hand and pulled him to the back of her home.

She saw a clearing through the trees and Nathan was on her heels, looking back. When she made it to the clearing, she smiled momentarily when she saw the bright shades of colors. _Rosemary's garden_.

But the amazement was short lived. Nathan caught her from behind and turned her around. His lips went to hers and then they were falling on a bed of daisies.


	101. Here the Whole Time

K*H*W* (go to my profile :)

* * *

><p><span>Chapter One Hundred and One<span>

"How are you?" David asked Fernidia and Anna-Beth.

"I'm fine." Anna smirked, looking knowingly at Dwayne. "I slept the herbs off."

"Nice," Guy chuckled.

"I haven't fallen _too_ deeply asleep." Fernidia smiled from eating a frosted cupcake.

"Where are Nathan and Azalea?" I asked, looking up at the sky that was now dark with dusk. Many of the civilians were gone now after wishing Sage a 'happy birthday'. Sage had gone as well with his mother. Liam would be joining his family but right now he was resting on a bench.

"I found them but then they ran off." Liam sputtered. "I found a ton of rose petals everywhere." His blue-gray eyes sparkled. "So I take it that they've reached the 'Newlywed phase.'"

" 'Newlywed phase'?" David asked from Candace's side.

"You remember what it's like to be married the first few weeks. You can't keep your hands off each other." Liam said. "I suspect that Nathan and Azalea are somewhere around here having a good time."

"You think so?" Eugene smirked. "I never thought that they would wait."

Guy nodded. "They have such a. . . A spark between them. No wonder they exploded."

"I have faith in them that they're just messing around right now." Olivia said, and then faltered. "But we did have to separate them once and now that they are off where no one would find them, well."

Liam burst out laughing. "Azalea's probably screaming loud enough to shake Corona."

Everyone blushed but laughed. "Yes, she probably is." Dwayne smiled fondly.

"Or Nathan's-" Anna started but then broke off. "I actually don't want to think about what Nathan is doing."

"It's terrible." Liam frowned. "Because then you get hungry. You go to the kitchen, nibble on some toast, and then realize that you're still-"

"Please don't go on." Guy groaned.

I started laughing. "Aw, poor Guy."

"Nice," Guy laughed with me. "They'll show up whenever. Don't worry about it."

When we went to the palace, Eugene and I retired to my room. I sighed when I realized how many days I had left. Two, counting today.

"Eugene?"

"Hm?" Eugene looked at me from the extinguished fireplace. He looked at my face. "What's the matter?"

"I need you to kiss me." I whispered.

Eugene's eyes went a bit wide. "You never have to ask." He leaned in but I stopped him.

"Kiss me like we're making love." I had to have this. One last taste of his lips, one more whiff of his spicy cologne, and one last gentle touch of his hands.

"I'd hurt you." Eugene smirked, but it didn't reach his eyes. He was trying to figure out my strange behavior.

"Then be gentle." I smiled up at him, feeling my heart break. His lips touched mine and I wrapped my arms around his neck. One last-

"You awake?" He murmurs sleepily.

"Yes. Did I wake you?"

He shakes his head. "No, I was almost out."

Eugene looks at my face sleepily, smiling softly.

This couldn't be the last night I'd see his light brown eyes that were really hazel. The way he looked at me this morning when I awoke couldn't be the last. I couldn't hold his hand one more time.

I couldn't leave Eugene.

_Rosemary's Point of View_

Luna caught her in a hug that was forced. "Congratulations!"

"For what?" Rosemary put her tray down.

"You've been assigned to Women Duty, as the prince called it." Luna's deep brown eyes were glittering with fake excitement, and whatever it was Rosemary had been assigned to, she realized that it was bad.

"_Women Duty_?" Rosemary blanched.

"The prince has asked all the women from the kingdom to meet him at the palace tomorrow morning wearing. . ." Luna's voice trailed off. "He will choose a bride and then they will be married soon."

"Wearing what?"

"Don't worry!" Luna exclaimed, wary of the many eyes on them. "You'll like it."

After their shift was over, Rosemary caught up to Luna.

"I'll despise it, won't I?"

Luna nodded somberly. "The prince has a name of every maiden in this kingdom so you'll have to take Caroline and any other maiden you know under twenty three."

"What does he do?" One had happened already, and with no luck, the second one was now occurring; that was the one happening tomorrow. Luna had been to the first one and was hiding things from Rosemary. _Great_, Rosemary thought sarcastically.

Luna's eyes darkened. "You'll figure it out when you get there."

"I don't get any hints?"

"Just think happy thoughts when he begins to mess with you." was all Luna said.

**Michael's Point of View**

He looked at Adam. "What's wrong?"

His older brother was lying on the made up bed. Michael was busy trying to sweep all the glass into a corner in the rooms before trying to repair a chair.

"You're back, right?"

Michael paused. Jacob was no longer in his head, but he knew it wasn't that simple. Something had to give. "For now."

Adam blew hair from his eyes. "For now?" he echoed.

"You know me coming back so easily isn't right." Michael said his thoughts out aloud as he swept.

"Yes, but. . . You seem so you." Adam protested.

"For now." Michael sighed. He thought of the girl that had stolen his heart. Frankly, now he wasn't sure if she still had it. "How's Fernidia?"

"Ask her." Adam's tone went petulant.

"What do you mean?" Michael stopped sweeping to gaze at his brother. "You two aren't together?"

"I don't know." Adam threw his hands up in frustration. "I'm not sure who she fancies at the moment. Do you fancy her anymore, Michael?"

Michael had to think. Now having to think about whether he liked Fernidia or not hurt him a little, but he really had to. Jacob pinning him down made him experience several emotions at once. "I don't think so."

"You don't think so? How helpful." Adam sighed.

"Whoever she goes to is whoever she goes to." Michael abandoned the uncomfortable topic. He'd have to leave soon. If Jacob somehow ended up in his head again, he'd have to be well away from Corona. The new kingdom Ladron would be a good start.

"Sage had a good time watching me juggle fire." Adam mused.

"Then he laughed when I tried to knock you out with one of those torches." They started laughing. "Sage is a good child."

"He is." Adam grinned. "And he really likes Ian."

"Can you believe he's only five? He acts like an eight year old."

Adam shrugged. "He's going to be the one who gets all the girls, you wait and see."

Michael put the broom down. "You and I will have to teach him to be smart."

"Right."

"Seriously. Sage needs to be smart and not get every girl in his bed."

Adam grinned. "Right."

"And he needs to learn how to keep his mouth shut. He almost blew it."

Adam frowned. "Almost. Then Nathan ran off with Azalea and. . . They haven't come back yet, have they?"

_Azalea's Point of View_

She woke up to something soft. "What?" She sat up, blinking when a floral smell reached her nose. Nathan was lying next to her, his eyes trained on her face. A lantern sat not far from their heads.

"You're awake." He smiled. "Good. He's done."

"Who?" She rubbed her eyes, and was surprised to find herself lying on daisies. "What happened?"

"You and I ran from Liam and we rolled around on this lovely bed of daisies here and then somehow you fell asleep. Which was perfect though; someone was supposed to paint us." Nathan's hand was gentle when it pulled a daisy out of her hair. Embarrassment flooded through her. How could she fall asleep while they were _kissing_? They hardly ever tied themselves loose like that, and she fell _asleep_!

"We rolled around kissing." She blushed.

"And then you fell asleep. Good to know that I have that effect on you." Nathan grinned and then Azalea saw how dark it was.

She looked around, stunned that it was midnight. "How long was I asleep?"

"For a few hours. Don't worry, Doll. The painter got us. He's gone now, unfortunately."

"Did we make love?" She turned to him. Could she hope?

His eyes were honest. "I wish. Dwayne and Alex helped me set this up. Alex's friend Caesar Smits got to us. He has two sons."

"Why is he in Corona and they're not?"

"That, my lovely Azalea, is a story for another day." Nathan got to his feet before helping her off the ground; Azalea grabbed the lantern. "I tired you out?"

"Yes, you did." She got up on her tip-toes to kiss his cheek. "Mission accomplished." What was it she was trying to remember earlier? She shrugged. Whatever Nathan's plan had been, it had worked.

Nathan punched the air. "Yes!"

She rolled her eyes playfully and then they went to the palace.

Alex's Point of View

Watching Azalea dance with Nathan was enchanting. She was so beautiful. Angelinda, when she was around her daughter, had done a good job in teaching the girl how to dance.

Hours before Sage had arrived, Alex went to visit Father Peter.

"Hello, Alexander." The minister greeted him.

"Hi, Father." Alex sat down on the tavern stool, feeling the soreness in his old bones. The tavern was empty since everyone was helping out with the decorations. One thing Alex could say for Corona was that they all cared for one another. He couldn't see how someone wouldn't care for the boy that had missed his birthday and his father on the same day.

"What is wrong? You look troubled." Father Peter looked at Alex's dull brown eyes. What a burden Alex carried.

"Have you seen the Corona civilian document?" Alex rasped.

Father Peter nodded. "Of course. I'm one of the first to see it. Why? Was something incorrect?"

Alex shrugged. He hadn't had a chance to look at it. "Tell me, am I in it?" He cursed himself in his mind. Of course he was on it.

Father Peter nodded. "I only glanced over it, but you are indeed on the document. What is the matter?"

"I. . ." Alex couldn't think of how to begin. "Nathan Keen, he's courting Azalea. . . Azalea Dixon." _Dixon my-_

Father Peter nodded. "Yes, and his sister is engaged to Dwayne Fernando."

Alex bit his lips. "Angelinda and Marvin only married. They never had children."

"Yes," Father Peter's tone went unsure as he listened to Alex. "All right." Then he thought about Alex's words. "If they never had children, then who is Azalea's father? The king will need to know about this, Alexander. Thank you-"

"No, Father." Alex had to tell someone this. Someone had to know. "Azalea. . . Her last name isn't Dixon. You know how the women and men carry their mother's and father's names until they're married? Marvin and Linda never had any children." It pained him to call her by Linda. She was, she had been, an angel to him.

"What are you saying?"

Alex pulled out a crumpled sheet of paper from his vest pocket. He had asked Sarah to copy his family tree and Gothel's.

He set it on the counter between them and pointed to his tree:

'_Pasley Viejo Ashcroft_' and a line joined his mother's name to his father's '_Alexander I Ruffins_'. Under 'viejo_'_ was the translated meaning: antique.

Then Alex pointed to him and his brother:

'_Alexander II Sentido Ruffins_' and next to his name was his brothers _Alec _'_Truco Ashcroft Ruffins_'. 'Truco' meant 'trick', and 'sentido' meant 'sense'.

Alex bit his lip more roughly when he pointed to Gothel's tree:

'_Tessie Tel Jall Gothel'_ and then Gothel's father '_Dale Gothel_'. 'Tel' was shortened, but meant 'cautious'.

"I see, but I still don't understand."

"She and Marvin never had a child." Alex sat up, and started to speak. "Azalea's middle name means leap. Gothel keeping her was like taking a 'leap of faith'." Alex's eyes dimmed. "She wanted me to stay for Azalea, and I tried so hard. Then one day, a few weeks after the princess went missing, I came to see Azalea and Angel hated me." He didn't bother to correct himself.

Tears filled Alex's eyes. Everything that he had missed out on.

Right after Alex had realized what Angel had done, Alex stayed away. He assumed that Marvin was with Angel, helping her. He never would have guessed that they didn't last two years, nor would he have guessed that Angel had been the one to steal the princess.

He had thought that Marvin had been with Azalea the entire time she was growing up.

Now he knew differently.

Now he knew why he hadn't recognized Azalea when she had come to the prisons after being arrested for rescuing the very girl her mother had stolen.

"Then I come back a few months later and she's _married_." Alex hissed, remembering the hurt that had filled him. He had asked Angel to marry him, but she declined saying that Azalea never needed to know that Alex was around. That Azalea didn't need to know that her father was-

But why would she marry someone else?

"Marvin wasn't her father, and Azalea doesn't know that he's been here the whole time, smiling at seeing her all grown-up. And Angel told Azalea that her last name was Dixon, but it wasn't. It isn't."

Alex tried to gather his breath, his lungs feeling empty as he confessed. "Azalea doesn't know that Marvin wasn't her father, nor does she actually remember him. Marvin wasn't her father. He never was, thank God." Alex forgot all the times Marvin had gone to the Tavern to drink, claiming that he and Gothel were arguing and he wanted to give her and Azalea peace.

He would never know what had gone on in that house, but Marvin was never home on time and was roaring drunk whenever he went back.

"If Marvin wasn't her father, then that means. . ." Father Peter's voice trailed off.

Alex pointed to Azalea's name, watching the minister as he leaned in to see. '_Azalea Salta Gothel Ruffins_'.

"I am."


	102. Eugene's Nightmare Made Real

K*H*W* (go to my profile :)

* * *

><p><span>Chapter One Hundred and Two<span>

I had way too much energy.

"We've got to do something!" I exploded into the Dining Hall. Everyone jumped and my Mother looked at me worriedly.

"What's wrong?" She asked._ Kick, kick, kick_.

"Nothing's wrong, your Highness." Eugene came in behind me, watching me as I flitted around the Dining Hall to find some tea. "She's very energetic."

"No, I'm not!" I turned to him and then I realized that I was shaking. "I just want to. . . Fly."

"Fly?" Guy arched his eyebrows.

I squealed. "Yes, fly! I. . . I want to go to the tower!"

Adam spit out his tea. "What?"

"I want to float down from my window." I squeaked. It'd be perfect. To feel the air rush through my hair . . . One last time. I bummed for a moment but then perked right back up.

"Can we come?" Azalea asked.

"Fancy meeting you here." I turned to her and grinned. "Of course you can come!"

"Hold on, who says we're going?" Eugene crossed his shoulders.

"I am. Let's go." Nathan and Azalea got up. I whispered to Flynn and Anora. "You guys are going to enjoy this so much!"

Eugene sighed and my friends and family gazed at me with the same worry in their eyes. What was the matter?

When we finally made it, Pascal crawled from my shoulder and grinned. Maximus neighed unimpressively but he and Eugene started chasing each other. Azalea and Nathan stared up the tower, speechless. The pale lavender and white bricks stood out brightly in the bright sunlight. The breeze was cool and I could feel water from the stream misting.

Eugene helped me into the entrance and I crawled through it after insisting I should be alone. I had missed my former home, and I was smiling at the hopeful thought that my paintings hadn't faded.

When I made it in, however, something inside me went cold.

Some things had been moved. Shifted around. A heavy scent filled the air, and though the scent was familiar, I couldn't recall what it was. I gazed around the tower, one hand on my belly. I felt. . . Watched.

I shook my head at myself. No one could possibly be in here.

An empty vase crashed to the floor behind me and the shock was so bad that Flynn and Anora started kicking hard like they wanted out. I bit back a scream and went to investigate. What had knocked it over?

_Kick, kick, kick_. I couldn't see what had knocked the vase over and frankly I didn't really care at the moment. I stood back up, wincing. _Kick, kick._ Why were they kicking me so hard?

I crawled from the secret entrance and found Nathan and Azalea sitting on the bank, watching the water in the stream glide past them. I froze at the pretty picture they painted.

"Do you want to go inside?" I asked them. Azalea turned around fast and beamed.

"We can?"

"Sure." _Kick, kick, kick_. I winced a little harder. Nathan and Azalea got up to look inside the tower.

"What's the matter, Blondie?" Eugene came up behind me. "You don't look comfortable."

"They won't stop kicking." I turned to him, my gaze drawn to his light brown eyes.

Fernidia's Point of View

She bounced around the palace, looking for Anna-Beth. "Go to Rapunzel's room." She said when she found the young woman.

"Something wrong?" Anna asked, brushing back her dark brown hair. She was playing with Sebastian's hands.

"I think she's starting." That was all Fernidia needed to say. Dwayne, who was by her side, quickly grabbed Sebastian from her. "Go find Sarah!" Anna rushed down the hallway.

Fernidia nodded hastily at Dwayne before she grabbed one of the guards. "Do you know my mother, Stephanie?" When the guard nodded, she said. "Can you tell her to go to the princess's room?"

The guard dashed off, and then Fernidia made it inside Rapunzel's room. Eugene was waiting out in the hall, surrounded by Michael, Nathan, and Liam.

"How are you?" Fernidia asked.

Rapunzel was lying on the bed, watching the flurry of activity with wide green eyes. "Um,"

"She's good, she's good." The queen said. "Do you need a back massage?"

"Um," Rapunzel blinked.

"I'll get you a cool cloth for your forehead, all right?"

"Um, wait." Rapunzel sat up. Everyone in the room froze.

"What is it? Are the cramps getting worse? Do you feel sick?" Sarah was already in the room.

"No," Rapunzel sputtered. "Calm down, all of you. I'm not dying. . ." Rapunzel's eyes clouded. "I mean, you act like I'm throwing up blood."

"But it happens." Sarah said.

"Really?" Rapunzel flinched.

"Sarah!" Fernidia exclaimed.

"All right, all right." Rapunzel's mother relaxed. "We'll slow it down."

"Thank you." Rapunzel looked relieved. "You guys made me nervous."

Anna started rubbing Rapunzel's feet. "You're lucky you caught it so early. I was way in town when I found out Sebastian was arriving."

Sarah nodded. "Liam and I were horseback riding when Sage wanted to get out."

Rapunzel's mother smiled but didn't contribute. She sat down on the bed, stroking Rapunzel's hair. "Do you want-"

Someone knocked on the door. Fernidia went over to open it and Azalea popped in. Her dark eyes were anxious.

"Now, look," Azalea started before anyone could protest. "I know only experienced mothers can be in here, but. . ." She trailed off.

"I'm leaving soon, unfortunately." Fernidia looked down. The queen's green eyes dimmed at Fernidia's words. "You can visit, if you want."

"No, that's what I'm saying." Azalea's voice went quiet. "I want to help."

"You haven't birthed a child, but I'm sure you can-" Anna-Beth said, but Azalea cut her off.

"I. . . I _have_ had a child before." Azalea whispered.

The entire room went still.

"You have?" Sarah exclaimed. She looked around the room like she expected the child to pop out of thin air. "Where is he or she? You don't make them stay home, do you?"

Azalea said nothing and the atmosphere grew sorrowful.

"Oh, Azalea!" Rapunzel whimpered. "I'm sorry!"

Azalea's dark eyes swelled with tears. "Don't be sad. We're all going to make sure these two make it." Azalea's eyes clouded over as well. Fernidia blinked. Did Rapunzel and Azalea know something they didn't?

_Azalea's Point of View_

She couldn't believe the lie.

Rapunzel was going to die, Flynn and Anora as well. Azalea was going to die as well, being connected to Rapunzel and the sun flowers, who were also not going to make it.

Why was she here? She was only looking the terrible inevitable event in the face. Maybe that she thought subconsciously that she could somehow stop Rapunzel from leaving them all.

Her thoughts abruptly froze. Who said Rapunzel was going to die at childbirth? Just because her eyes had turned black didn't mean that Rapunzel was going to die any time soon, did it?

Azalea waved to Fernidia when she left, dismayed that instead of friendliness, her friends seemed to evade her help. Eventually, she sat on the bed when Queen Leah left to talk to Rapunzel's father. Leah was really the queen's middle name but everyone called Queen Leah by that name so it stuck.

"How are you?" She asked Rapunzel every hour or so. Rapunzel's skin was starting to turn red and a short shriek escaped her. She handed Rapunzel a pillow and Rapunzel mashed it to her face.

"I-I. . . Where's Eugene?" Rapunzel pulled the pillow away.

"I'll fetch him!" Azalea got up, glad to have something to do. Anna and Sarah sent her empathetic glances from their small tasks when Azalea flashed to the door. She yanked it open and saw that Eugene was now waiting with Michael, Adam, Fernidia, Olivia, Guy, Nathan, and Liam. Dwayne was a few yards away, coaxing Sebastian to try and lift his chest up.

They all looked up when Azalea appeared. "Anything?" Liam asked.

She shook her head. "No, we still have a while to go. Eugene, she asked for you."

Eugene seemed to gulp before he walked in. Azalea caught Nathan's eye before she disappeared behind Eugene.

"Hey, Blondie. Hi Sarah, Anna." Eugene seemed ill at ease and completely calm all at once.

He took Azalea's spot and stroked Rapunzel's sweaty hair. "How are you?" His tone was very serious.

"Fine." Rapunzel gazed up at him with feverish bright eyes. "How are _you_?"

"I am fine now that I have a few minutes with my favorite person in the entire world." Eugene grinned at her.

Rapunzel smiled a tiny smile that didn't reach her eyes.

_Rapunzel's Point of View_

Why did no one tell me how much it would _hurt_?

I was fighting to keep my mouth from opening in a scream. Eugene had stayed with me for the last two hours doing his 'smolder' until I hurt more from laughing.

His 'smolder' had never fazed me. How come it did so now when I only had maybe hours left? It wasn't fair.

Father Peter and Father Dante came in the room to sprinkle holy water on my sweating face while they prayed for a safe delivery and then they were gone.

Fernidia and Olivia popped in to check on me as well, as did my Father and Mother.

"Azalea, where did you and Nathan g-go!" My words ended in a yelp when a contraction made my stomach lurch.

"We went to the garden in the back of my home and started kissing." Azalea blushed. Eugene whistled and she nudged him. "And then I. . . I fell asleep."

"Really?" Sarah giggled from rubbing my sore back.

"I was tired!" Azalea defended herself. "And apparently a man named Caesar Smits painted us." She blushed deeper. "I wonder how it turned out."

Eugene pretended to pause in thought. "You want to know my opinion?"

"If it's anything like Liam's, then no."

"Now I can't tell you." Eugene pouted.

I started giggling but went pale when the next contraction rolled in. "Eugene, why are we having babies again?"

"Why does every woman ask that?" Azalea wondered.

"You'll know when you get there," I hissed through my clenched teeth. "Love making ends up with a stork knocking on your door sooner or later."

"He'll knock as loud as he wants but you have to open the door." Anna added.

"And who opens the door?" Azalea asked. I smiled. They were such good friends, trying to distract me.

"Your belly, of course." Candace wiped my dewy forehead.

Eugene nodded. "Right."

"You don't want to answer?" Anna looked at my husband.

"I think that we have babies to continue the legacy of our forefathers." Eugene smiled.

"Very nice, Eugene." Candace smiled.

"Don't compliment me." Eugene said. "I read that in the beginning of the baby name book."

"You can read?" Anna gasped in fake shock.

"Well I did pick up a thing or two while I was on the run from who I will assume were Guy, Adam, and Nathan." Eugene smirked.

I sat up straight suddenly.

"What is it, Rapunzel?" Azalea asked me, her own body going stiff.

I looked at Anna. "Sorry."

"For what?"

"I think I just ruined the sheets."

Everyone paused.

And then the room exploded into activity. Sarah began to wipe my head with the wet cloth while Azalea hurtled herself to the cabinets to toss handfuls of linen on the bed, which Eugene began to fold up. Anna rushed out of the room and Candace took her place at massaging my back.

I groaned, the activity made me nauseous all over again. "Slow down, please."

"Um, no." Azalea said as she went to the washroom before coming out with a basin of water. "Sarah, here."

Sarah began to dip the cloth in and water drops got on my chest. I shivered at the coldness, and my hand found Eugene's. One last time.

"I need you to kiss me." I whisper.

"You never have to ask." He leans in but I stop him.

"Kiss me like we're making love."

"I'd hurt you."

A few hours passed by and the cramps got worse. I put the pillow back to my face, trying to muffle my screams.

"Mother must have decided to keep this to herself to torture us."

"Twenty four names? Sheesh." Dwayne sits down next to Anna-Beth, scowling. "I've got a few, if you like them."

Eugene peered to see. His face went pale when he sat back next to me. "There is definitely a head crowning."

"Why would you look?" I wailed.

"Why wouldn't I look?"

"You could faint!" I put the pillow back to my face in time. Breathe. In. Out. In- "Ow!"

"Think happy thoughts." Anna was back in the room with my mother who had a fabric fan and was waving it at my face. The air was so cool.

"Happy thoughts?" I exclaimed. "Happy thoughts? If they want out, why can't they go already?"

"The stork wants them to take their time!" Candace said.

"But it hurts." I bit into the pillow. Mother began to fan me more rapidly.

"What had happened?" I ask, feeling cold.

"Something very bad." Dwayne's eyes suddenly chill. "You'll learn about it soon enough. I imagine that it will be all over the kingdom by now."

Nathan meets my eyes with exhausted forest pools. "Are we going to make it?" He whispers. Suddenly, everything seems fragile.

"Hush, Rapunzel." Olivia is saying. "Let me see your neck."

"Can you even see it?"

He has me shackled to the wall, and strangely, I think nothing of it and feel giddy. I hiccup in his face and burst out laughing.

"It's a moon, Rapunzel. Can I finish? It's supposed to be a flower as well, like the ones outside."

"Go ahead! I won't move, nor will I hit you again. Even though you asked for it since you didn't ask me whether I wanted a moon on the back of my neck."

He unshackles me and takes me in his arms. He coos to me, "I'm so glad you're eating the soup again."

Blood is on my fingers. I feel an indention on the skin and feel for an imprint.

Something is there that wasn't there yesterday.

Rage floods me so strong that I yank open the door, screaming. "Jacob!"

Was I supposed to feel pain the last few moments of my life?

"Eugene," I try to distract him, "someone lit the fireplace."

Eugene jumps with shock. "Oh God! . . . No, wait." He relaxes. "I did that."

"Rapunzel, are you going to stop fighting now?" Fernando's hands are on my shoulders as I stand in front of the one full-length mirror he had. My fair skin is covered in purple bruises.

He shackles me to the bare wall and glares at me, flexing his fingers.

"Now?" Fernando asks. I bite my lip and shake my head. He punches me in the jaw.

"Now?" He asks as my lip bled. I try hard to hold onto my resolve.

Why was I still fighting my fate?

"Push!" Candace's yell made me jump.

"Now?" I gasped. Was it finally over?

"Yes, go!"

I started straining, the pain beginning to cloud out every thought. I stopped a moment too soon.

"Again!" Candace said. My mother grabbed my hand. Eugene had gone out to wait again. Azalea held my left hand and was on her knees on the other side of the bed.

"It's almost over, Rapunzel." Azalea stared into my eyes with her black ones. "You can do it!"

_It's almost over_. My life was almost over.

But while I died, I was bringing new life into the world. I concentrated on that thought alone and pushed again.

"I can see the shoulders!" Anna was crouching down holding a blanket ready for whichever one came first. "One more time."

I strained once more and then burst out crying. I was at a wall.

"Rapunzel!" My mother's voice grabbed my attention. I was squeezing her hand hard, and thinking that's why she called me, I relaxed a bit. She protested. "No, squeeze as hard as you want." Her green eyes were sparkling. "Do you want the babies?"

"Of course!" I croaked.

"One more time, come on." She squeezed my hand.

I bit my lip and pushed harder. The pain filled my body and my vision darkened but then. . .

I heard a baby wailing.

Anna cooed. "It's. . . It's Flynn."

Joyful tears clouded my vision. "F-Flynn?" My voice was soft.

Eugene grabs a book off on the shelves. He sits down next to me, and puts his arm around my shoulder. I open the cover. I see a rattle on the cover.

"This is a book for baby names."

"Want to name babies after cupcakes?"

Anna handed me a very light blue bundle. I was barely able to hold him, but I moved him to my chest. I could feel my face glowing.

Flynn had tiny little blond curls and he had Eugene's cheekbones and my delicate blond eyebrows. His eyes were open and we gazed at each other. I was mesmerized by the intelligence in his hazelish light brown eyes.

Eugene and I were shining in this baby. I had given birth to such a beautiful boy. His eyes were so much like Eugene's and he had his lips when I looked closer.

"Flynn Damien Fitzherbert." I felt my fingers gently brush his cheek. He was so beautiful. A perfect blend of Eugene and me.

Then another pain racked through me and I bit my tongue to keep from scaring Flynn. My mother gasped when she saw Flynn, and I handed him to her, now determined to deliver Anora just as safely.

"You have a beautiful voice, Rapunzel." His voice sounds strange, rough, like he is nervous too.

"I could sing more if you want me to."

"Whatever makes you happy."

Eugene pulls the carriage to a stop. "We're here."

"Rapunzel, you're so close!" Candace coaxed me.

I suddenly found it hard to breathe. I relaxed a little bit and struggled again.

"I'm just worried about the wedding."

He nods and places me gently on the bed.

"One more day." He breathes happily in my ear.

"You did it, Rapunzel!" Anna bounced up and down as Candace was holding the other child. She pecked my sweating cheeks. "You're done! Congratulations!"

I sighed, and sank back against the pillows. _I did it_. I broke into a breathtaking smile and looked at Candace. "Who. . .? Who is it?"

Candace smiled warmly. "Anora's here."

Anna-Beth squealed and ran out the room. Azalea followed her out, beaming, and Candace handed me Anora.

I gasped when I looked down at her face. Golden honey curls framed her face and she had emerald green eyes with blue flecks. She looked a little like Eugene, but she had my lips, cheekbones, and eyelashes. Other features of me popped out from her face but my vision was too clouded with tears to see them.

"Anora Sunni Fitzherbert." I breathed. She was angelic in beauty, and I had to stifle sobs.

Mother gently laid Flynn on my chest and she went to find my Father. Candace said she had to spread the news, and quickly left the room. I was alone, and the silence was welcoming.

"Oh, Anora and Flynn." I cooed to them, struggling to sit up. "I. . . You need to know that I always loved you."

I was going to take my last breath soon. I had to tell them I loved them while I still could.

Flynn's tiny hands reached for my fingers and I smiled. I began to feel a little numb as I waited for my friends and family to come back.

Azalea came back in the room. "Eugene's a little wasted at the moment. Olivia's given him yew to help him somber up." She laughed a little, and I managed a giggle.

She crouched down to my side and her eyes softened when they gazed at my children. "They're beautiful, Rapunzel." She breathed.

"They are." I smiled.

Azalea smiled as well, and her fingers began to stroke Anora's cheek.

A dull burning settled in my heart and I realized that tears were streaming down my eyes. The numbness began to spread and I couldn't hold on-

I gaze at the sky, finding it hard to lean on the window because of my height.

_If only I could go outside._ I turn to Mother Gothel. "When can I see the lanterns?"

"Oh, honey, they're not for you." Gothel smiles sweetly.

"But I. . . I want to see them!" I protest. I smile inside. Going outside is a harmless thing, wasn't it?

"Maybe when you turn seven." Gothel strokes my cheek_. _Being six then, I didn't realize how often she would use that excuse.

I feel my eyes widen as I look up. The sky is filled with glowing lights, glowing suns. Eugene is watching them, too, in awe. I am suddenly filled with gratitude, that he has brought me this far. That he hasn't left me.

I reach behind me, ready to tie him loose when I see that he has another gift.

He is holding two glowing suns. Our suns.

He hands one wordlessly to me, and on cue, we both lift them to the sky.

Eugene watches my face carefully as I stared up at them. I can feel my heart reaching out to Eugene's-

Azalea looked into my face, staring at my hazy eyes. "Rapunzel?" Fear darkened in her eyes. "It's today, isn't it? Rapunzel, please d-don't go now."

I lolled my head to her, aching. "I can't stay. I'm supposed to die."

"No, no!" Azalea shook me. "You can't!"

"I saw myself die. You were right." I rasped, my throat suddenly dry.

"You're in danger somehow. But you already know this, don't you? Because after all, you saw yourself die." She had been right.

"You can't leave the babies! Not Eugene, not your mother, your father-" Azalea's chest began to heave.

"But I can't hold on." I had to help her understand. Make her understand.

"You have to try!" Azalea burst into tears.

Flynn and Anora started crying then, and I looked over at them and nearly screamed. "Oh my. . ."

Azalea gazed at them with me, tears streaming down her pale face.

Their eyes were black now.

I turned to her. "There isn't much time." I wanted to wail and scream. Why did they have to leave me first? Why didn't _I_ go first?

"I can bring you back!" Azalea was grasping for any hope she could see. "I can heal. I brought Nathan back!"

"You only heal mental things." I told her. "You only. . ." A thought dawned on me. "You only healed Nathan because the sun flowers were part of me, and helped you."

"But if you're dead then the sun flowers won't. . ." Azalea wailed in grief when she realized it at the same time I did.

So this was it.

It was quiet for what felt like forever before Azalea spoke.

"So is there no hope?" Azalea tried to calm herself down. I admired her then, I really did. She always wanted to keep on a brave face.

"You ready?"

"Never." Azalea says sincerely.

My eyes follow Azalea as she walks up the steps to receive her sentence. She squares her shoulders and holds her head high. When she turns to the crowd, I gasp when I see her greenish gray eyes.

They are filled with courage and I realize then, that she isn't afraid to die. She is afraid to live a life full of unease and distrust, and would have secretly _preferred_ death.

Who is her father? She inherited the bravery of a cornered cat.

"Where's Eugene?" I needed to see him. One last time.

I recalled lines from a book I read the other day.

'Your first kiss isn't as important as your last.'

How many times had Eugene and I kissed?

'Life is really, really short.'

They were so true it was unfair.

"He's coming, he's coming." Azalea rubbed my numb shoulder.

I heard Flynn begin to cough and Azalea, to my gratitude, scooped him up in her arms and started patting his back. Within long moments, the coughing eased.

Azalea went still though, Flynn still in her grasp. She set him on the bed and the shock hit us both.

He had died in her arms.

"No, no, no!" I started wailing. "Flynn, not you! Not- Oh God, Anora!" I wanted to move my arms to her. Azalea, in more tears, nudged her to where I could see her face.

Stephanie had always told me that when a baby coughed when he was born, he was welcoming life. Flynn coughing when he was already here meant that he was trying to fight death.

Anora didn't fight it.

I gazed into her pretty blue-flecked green eyes, my heart ripping as they began to dim. I could feel my heart slow down.

"I love you, Anora." My shaking fingers stroked her cheek like they had with Flynn when he was born. "I love you so much."

Anora's eyes twinkled as she gazed at me and I swore that she moved her lips to a smile.

A smile that stayed on her face when her little chest stopped moving.

I looked at Azalea then, my face twisted in grief. "They're. . . They're. . ." I couldn't say the word.

Azalea gazed at me, and I could see it in her eyes. How long did she have left?

My slowing heart ached for all of us then. All the things she and Nathan hadn't been able to do. The children Eugene and I wouldn't see grow up. The grief that would tear Eugene apart the moment he walked into the room-

We had such a terrible fate. I laid there dying, only because I had brought two little ones into the world, who were already dead. And now Azalea. . .

I looked at Azalea and wished that I could tell Eugene how beautiful they were when life shone in her eyes. I wished that I could tell her and Nathan to have their lives together, and I was miserable that they couldn't because Azalea was tied to me. I wished I could say goodbye to her but I couldn't feel my mouth moving.

Her dark eyes flickered to me and more tears streamed down her face.

What happened?

"I-I can save all of you!" Azalea was in denial. She picked up Anora and started singing. Strands of her hair turned silver but then the strands dimmed.

"Rapunzel, open your eyes, please."

What was she talking about? I was staring right at her.

"Azalea?"

"Anora Sunni Fitzherbert, y-your family n-needs you."

"Azalea!"

"Flynn, you need to wake up!"

I was still screaming her name, but she couldn't hear me.

"Rapunzel needs you." Azalea's voice dropped to a whisper at the top of her lungs. "Rapunzel. . ."

She put Anora down on the bed and clutched my hand. I could only tell that she was holding tightly because her knuckles turned white.

"Rapunzel?" Eugene walked in, and then I went cold.

"Eugene. . ." I gazed at him numbly. He looked at the baby in Azalea's arms, and then at Flynn. I couldn't hear my voice.

"What happened?" His eyes went cold.

I reached out for him, but found that I couldn't move.

Azalea hurtles herself at me and hugs me tightly. She rocks back and forth, coughing hard and then I realize that she is crying. Tears explode from my eyes and I sob into her shoulder,

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Nathan and Dwayne watch us with reddening eyes and Dwayne turned his head away for a moment.

Azalea gasps. "I'm n-not crying because I'm s-sad. Well, k-kind of. But I'm so h-happy to see you!"

All the things that would never happen now.

Tears fell from my eyes.

**Eugene's Point of View**

He hit his head against the wall. "Is it bad that I want to kill Azalea right now?"

"No," Dwayne patted his shoulder.

Nathan crossed his arms, scowling. "Actually, it is bad." His green eyes are anxious, as were they all. Waiting was the worst part.

Liam rolled his eyes. "You all have no patience." Liam looked the most at ease.

Michael snorted. "Um, who abandons Sage with Maya right around twilight every night?"

Liam raised his hand in the air and glared playfully at Michael. "I'll be loud and proud about it, Michael."

Adam burst out laughing. "Do you guys go nuts when you wait for things like this?"

"It's a very stressful experience." Eugene muttered.

"How drunk are you?" David asked him.

The hallways were bright with late afternoon light but Eugene paid no mind to it. He sometimes heard wails and shushes that made him want to kill himself. Why had he inflicted her with so much pain?

"I can still feel my toes." Eugene groaned.

"More whiskey." Liam started walking off. "Anyone want Scotch?"

"Mix the scotch with the whiskey and I should be good." Eugene called to him.

The wait was agonizing.

Even when Eugene couldn't feel his toes, he could still feel the agony that waiting caused. He wanted to be more drunk, and was encouraged in fact, but he didn't want their children to think he went around getting drunk.

He rethought that. On rare occasions, he actually would go around and get drunk.

_They'll love me anyways_, Eugene thought.

When Olivia finally came and got him, he was so happy to see her, he caught her in a bear hug. "How's. . . Punzie, doing?"

"You're wasted, Eugene." Nathan patted his shoulder.

When Eugene had cleared his stomach of the whiskey, he gathered up his confidence.

The nightmares that he had been having, they were just dreams. Dreams couldn't be real-

His entire world froze completely when he stepped into the room.

Azalea was clutching Rapunzel's hand, her knuckles white. She had tears streaming down her face and her skin seemed pale like the moon. Her eyes looked at Eugene and he saw a strange yet deep sadness in them that scared him.

He walked to Rapunzel's side, standing next to Azalea who was kneeling, and looked at his wife's face. Her eyes were the emerald green that had enchanted him so deeply when he had first saw her, but they were blank and glassy. They stared at him, and for a moment, he thought recognition made the forest pools boil with life, but then it was gone.

A choking sound escaped his lips and he turned to look at the two bundles on the bed. One was blue, and the other was pink. He tried to smile and as he stood to pick them up, lightheadedness flooded his mind. He scooped them up quickly, praying he wouldn't faint, and held them close. Were they-

They were cold.

He had lost all three of them.

"No," He moaned. "No, no." He looked at Azalea and started begging. "Tell me. Please, oh God. What happened?" His throat felt like it was about to close up. "Olivia said that they were all fine."

Azalea stood up shakily. "I-I don't know what happened. One minute, the babies were out. And then the next, she was t-telling me g-goodbye." She broke into sobs.

Eugene barely handed the babies to her before he dropped to his knees. He bursts into tears and he couldn't breathe. Agony at losing Rapunzel seared him deeply. The pain was so bad that he tried to go numb.

"What's happened?" Liam walked in. "Eugene hasn't come out. . ." His eyes took in the room. Liam's voice was shaking badly. "What the hell. . . What the hell _happened_?"

"I lost them." Eugene sputtered, trying to breathe. "_I lost them_."

"There has to be something Olivia can do." Liam looked unable to move his feet. "Eugene, we can. . . They'll be okay. Come on, you have to get up."

Eugene stayed there for a few moments, and then he stood up as rage darkened his face.

He lost _them_.

"Be careful, it can smell fear." Rapunzel's hands are wrapped around Eugene's neck, and just to tease her, he had said the words.

The wonder in her eyes when she sees that he had bought two lanterns.

And then the song that had bound him to her.

" '_And at last I see the light, and it's like the sky is new._' " Rapunzel sings.

" '_And it's warm and real and bright. And the whole world has somehow shifted._' " They sing together. Eugene had never been much for singing, hardly sang at all in fact, but hearing her voice, he can't help but join in.

His world blurred as he stalked out of the hallways.

There was yelling, and screaming, and pleading, but Eugene went deaf to it, caught up in such a rage if Jacob had been in the room, he would have been maimed and killed in such a way that even the king would order Eugene to be hanged.

He couldn't believe it.

_ " 'All at once, everything seems different now that I see you._' "

Everything was different now. He was a lost man.

" '_All those days, chasing down a daydream. All those years living in a blur. All that time never truly seeing things the way they were. Now she's here, shining in the starlight. Now she's here, suddenly I know, if she's here, it's crystal clear. I'm where I'm meant to go._' "

"Eugene, stop, please!" A voice jolted him.

He went still, disoriented. He was standing in the middle of the hallway, and Dwayne and David were pulling him from the window. The window had numerous cracks in it, and Eugene realized that his hands were bleeding. He looked around, and saw busted windows and assumed that he had beaten at the glass until they broke.

Eugene lurches off the bed, his light brown eyes widening as he saw that the windows were open. Sadly, he closes them with a tug of the window pane. Rapunzel had loved to look out of the windows.

Well, he had busted the windows around him with his bare hands.

"Why the hell are you moving me?" Eugene snarled.

"You need to calm down." David was talking rapidly. "She wouldn't have wanted you to act this way-"

"The hell she wouldn't!" Eugene dropped to his knees. "Damn it, damn it, damn it!" He lurched to his feet like he had after that terrible nightmare and punched the damn window again. It shattered at once, and the pain was almost welcoming as it washed over him. Physical pain hurt a lot less than the mental pain.

"Eugene, please!" Azalea put her hand on his shoulder. "We can bring her back!" She was so much like Rapunzel it hurt.

"There's no point." Eugene met her eyes. He had studied up on _The Story of the Moon_ whenever he had gotten a chance. "You go, the flowers go."

"Then we hurry." Azalea's dark eyes went darker if possible. "Go get your wife. Anna and Maya have Flynn and Anora."

"They're dead."

"We can bring them back too!" Azalea shook him. "Come on, Eugene. For her?"

Eugene shook his head but staggered back to the room. He yelled in shock when he saw Rapunzel.

Her hair was black.

Not the brown it had been when he had cut it, her hair was midnight black.

He stifled the curses erupting from his mouth and pulled her to his arms. She was light, too light.

"To the Gardens." Nathan was right by his side. The king and queen were next to Eugene and he was surrounded by his friends. David and Diego stood nearby as well.

"What if it doesn't work?"

"Then prepare to rule alone." Diego answered.

Eugene managed a tiny smile when the king nudged Diego hard in the ribs.

_Azalea's Point of View_

She could feel the flowers struggling to hold on. In a way, it reminded her of the four little children grabbing at the edge of her dress in her dream with Nathan. It was like the flowers were tugging on her to stay there.

She felt Nathan grab her hand as she followed the trail of Candace and Sarah, who were in tears as they trailed behind Eugene and David. Everyone else was up front with Eugene, and Alex was the only other person with them.

Memories came to her slowly as they trudged along.

"Azalea, get up." Rapunzel whines playfully.

"But the floor feels amazing!" Azalea protests.

"Azalea," Nathan calls in the back. "I'll pick you up and carry you to the palace with you over my shoulder if you don't get up."

"Is that supposed to be a threat?" Azalea whines.

Her heart began to beat slower and she found it hard to walk.

Rosemary knocks on the door. "Azalea?"

She opens it, and looks at what Rosemary is holding. She is holding a basket full of fabric, and she sees tiny little shirts and dresses. "What is all that?"

"Baby clothes."

Her chest began to heave. The flowers were tugging too hard. As she walked, she began to strain to keep her body from tipping forward.

"I know how much you miss her." Her mother wraps her in a hug. Azalea wraps her arms around her mother tightly, realizing how little her mother's arms are around her.

"She hasn't written in a while." Azalea says sadly.

Her mother goes to a tiny box and gestures for Azalea to go in front of the body length mirror that they had.

She closes her eyes when she feels something cool tie itself around her neck. She blinks them open to find a silver necklace with a tiny smooth chunk of moonstone on her neck.

"It's beautiful." She murmurs softly, her hands going to touch it.

"Just like you." Her mother ruffles her hair. "If Rosemary writes soon, I'll send her one as well."

Did her mother ever send it?

"Tell me, what were you trying to remember?" Nathan breathes, causing her to squirm.

"Um, engagement-" Nathan nips at her neck and she moans. "Sage and engage-" She moaned again. "S-stop!"

"Did he mention me?" Nathan's hands go to her waist, staying there. He doesn't need to pin her down with his arms anymore because her struggles waned as she found it hard to concentrate.

"N-no. . . Wait, yes?" He nips harder and she gasps. "Sage. . . A-and. . ." Nathan began to suckle her neck. "He said y-your name," Azalea can't think. "Then. . . Damn."

"What did he mean, Nathan?" Why is he trying to make her forget? "What did Sage mean?"

Nathan looks down at the floor. "I didn't want to have to do this, but I have been practicing with Eugene. Damn, well, here it comes."

He lifts up his head slowly. When he looks back up at her, she is stunned. His eyebrows are slanted and his deep green eyes are glowing brighter than ever. His face is an exact replica of Eugene's 'smolder'.

Her mind emptied as she gazes at him.

"W-what. . .H-how. . ." Azalea stutters. "E-Eugene taught you t-that? . . . That's the 'smolder'. . ."

He looked. . .

Like he was ready to make love.

"Azalea?" He shakes her. "Azalea?"

"H-how did you do that?"

"Do what? Are you all right "Y-you. . .You bedazzled me." Azalea can feel the shock on her face. "I was about to faint!"

Nathan smiles and she flinches back. "Don't do it again!" She puts her head in her hands. "My goodness."

"What's wrong? I'm supposed to be bedazzling." Nathan tries to sound innocent.

She felt her strength waning when they were more than halfway there.

She is lying down on her back, staring up at the ceiling. She looks around the tiny sunlit room, confused at where she was. Azalea sits up.

A breath on her ear makes her head whip to the side. Nathan is sitting up, his bare chest dewy. "Mornin', Azal."

She looks at Nathan's sparking green eyes, her own beginning to charge with the love that lingered in the air. It is intangible, but she can almost feel it radiating from their skin.

"Morning, Nathan." She looks down to find yellow sheets covering up her bare chest and body. "What's happened?"

"I believe our honeymoon has happened."

Far away, someone knocks on the front door but they don't hear. Nathan moves away from the wall, smiling when her legs stay close to his waist. He closes the open door and locks it.

"No interruptions." Nathan smirks lustily at her.

"You're feisty as hell when you want, cute as a button, and you know how to have a good time." He gestures to the dress. "And you look like dessert in that little red thing you've got on there."

"Feisty?" She looked up at him.

"See? There you go."

"Have you done something you're not proud of?"

"We hid horses and rode them in the middle of the night." Nathan confesses.

She ruffles his hair. "Smart."

Nathan smiles.

Azalea gasps when she sees the canvas.

"Nathan, it's beautiful!"

Nathan kisses her temple. "It's not as beautiful as you on the canvas. I plan to paint you someday. The walking Doll caught on paper."

She fell down and found that she didn't have the energy to get up.

**Nathan's Point of View**

He caught her by the waist when she fell forwards. His heart was in his throat. Not her as well. But how could it not be her? They were all connected in the cruelest way-

"Azalea?" Panic welled up in him.

"Azalea, darling?" Alex stammered.

Nathan collapsed on the ground, laying her head in his lap. Her eyes were open but they were glassy.

"N-Nathan?" She seemed weakly relieved. "I thought I was gone already."

"Why would you think such a thing?" It hit Nathan and Alex all at once. If Eugene didn't make it in time, Azalea would be gone as well. Why not make her as comfortable as possible?

"My eyes closed for too long." Azalea murmured. Nathan blinked when he saw her pupils begin to shrink, and her greenish gray eyes were bright. Too bright.

"Nathan, if they don't make it-"

"They're going to make it." Nathan was aware how still Alex was on his other side.

"If they don't," Azalea mumbled, "I want you to know that I love you."

"I love you too." Nathan said.

Nathan looked at the top of her head to see her roots begin to turn black. She was leaving him. He clutched her hand tightly. His heart was beginning to ache when the dark color began to run down Azalea's golden hair.

She _was_ a midnight goddess. Her blond hair had really captured her personality but the dark hair that framed her face gave her an edge that he had only tasted while they turned themselves loose. It was daring and adventurous. Nathan pulled Azalea closer to him.

"I love you," Nathan kissed her hand, repeating the words that spoke his heart. How many times could he say to her before her eyes closed for good?

Azalea managed a smile but he could tell that she was finding it hard to move.

"Damn!" Nathan thought suddenly.

"What is it?" Azalea asked, her glassy eyes beginning to stare right through him and Alex, who had been quiet the whole time.

"I never serenaded you." Nathan couldn't believe it.

Azalea pouted. "Don't worry about it."

He shook his head. How odd. The conversation was almost normal. Was he subconsciously humoring her?

Azalea giggled, but when she winced.

"I'll sing it to you in Heaven when we get there." Nathan said. Well, he actually did have a song. An eight worded song.

Azalea gasped then, and her eyes blinked themselves shut for a moment.

"What's it like?" What had his mother felt in her last moments?

"Flying," Azalea breathed.

Nathan smiled, but he could tell it didn't reach his eyes. He had to blink back tears when she tried to clutch his hand tighter. They didn't have much longer.

"I wish Father Peter was here, so I could say a few words," Azalea started breathing heavy.

"You can say anything you want." He cooed, gazing into her pretty eyes.

Azalea nodded weakly. "All right. I'm glad that my mother ignored me."

"Why?" Nathan sputtered.

"If she hadn't ignored me, I wouldn't have ever met Dwayne or Jacob. Jacob would have never kidnapped Rapunzel, and I would have never met you." Azalea seemed to find strength from Nathan's touch.

"I'm glad that Sage had a happy birthday." Tears trickled down her cheeks.

"I'm glad for what we did _while_ Sage was having a happy birthday." Nathan mumbled. Azalea weakly started laughing.

He tried to ignore how hard her chest was heaving.

"I. . . I wish I knew my father." Azalea sobbed.

Nathan rubbed the tears away, abandoning her hand for a moment. "I wish my father hadn't been such a bastard."

"I'm sorry I can't bear you any children." Azalea's shaking hand reached for Nathan's cheek. He caught it, and held it there.

"We are having six, right?"

"As many as you want." Their conversation that had happened days ago.

"Six little Nathans."

Azalea's breathing stuttered a bit, but she gazed into Nathan's eyes, wistfulness in her eyes.

"Six little Azaleas."

Alex was very quiet next to Nathan, and when Nathan glanced over at him, he was surprised to see Alex staring at Azalea's face, wonder in his eyes.

"Six?"

"You don't want six?"

"What did you dream about?"

"When are we going to have children, Doll?"

"We can have children any time."

"How many do you want?"

"We have four children?"

"Six."

Azalea choked as she tried to speak. "And. . . I'm sorry we're not getting married."

Nathan's heart wrenched. How could he forget? The ceremony that would bind her to him forever. . .

Now that wouldn't happen.

"Azalea," Alex finally spoke. His voice was very quiet. Azalea looked up at him with her glassy eyes, and a smile formed her lips. Before Alex spoke, Azalea did.

"I remember you."

"You do?" Alex shifted closer to her, and such a longing filled his eyes. Nathan looked down then. Her mind was going now.

"How could I forget you?" Azalea whispered. "I know you, I remember your face but I can't. . ."

"I'm your father."

Nathan looked at Alex sharply. "I beg your pardon?"

Azalea's eyes watered with tears. "You're my father?"

Alex nodded, wary. "I am."

"Where have you been my whole life?" Azalea struggled to sit up, but then laid back down. Her dark hair sprawled on Nathan's lap.

"Regretting my decision."

_Azalea's Point of View_

"Why weren't you. . .?" Azalea couldn't speak. She was going numb all over. Her mouth stopped moving and she could only gaze at her father. His brown hair and warm brown eyes had always been almost familiar, but now she knew. Those days in the prisons where he had been there, the way he said her name. It all made sense.

Nathan and Alex went very silent then. She could feel them waiting.

She wanted to keep holding Nathan's hand, but she could feel her grip loosening. Her lungs shrunk and she found that her eyes were closing. The flowers were yanking on her too tight. Her body was giving out-

"It's okay to let go," Nathan whispered.

"Just let it go, Azalea." Little Dwayne had cheered.

And then. . .

Then she was dreaming.

She was on her feet somehow, streaking to the gardens.

She glimpsed her friends and even saw Rapunzel's green eyes. She took something off of her neck and then dirt was flying everywhere.

She heard a voice an octave lower than hers begin to whisper into the air Her own voice joined in:

_" 'O' Sun, are you there?_

_It's an old friend calling,_

_I sing to you if I dare._

_I know I've done you wrong,_

_That's why I'm now a stone._

_Not so bright._

_But you let me rely on your light._

_Do you think one day,_

_We'd grow a flower?_

_If you can be the seed,_

_I'd help you grow._

_Pieces of me could be the fertilizer._

_I'd keep you warm and alive,_

_And you make the world_

_Beautiful._

_Would it glow or shine?_

_Would it glow quietly or_

_Shine loudly?_

_I know I've done you wrong,_

_That's why I'm now a stone._

_Not so bright_

_But you let me_

_Rely on my light._

_Do you think one day,_

_We'd grow a flower?_

_If you can be the seed,_

_I'd help you grow._

_Pieces of me would be the fertilizer._

_Pieces of you would be the petals."_

_Would it glow or shine?_

_Would it glow quietly or_

_Shine loudly?_

_I know I've done you wrong,_

_That's why I'm now a stone._

_Not so bright_

_But you let me_

_Rely on my light._

_Do you think one day,_

_We'd grow a flower?_

_If you can be the seed,_

_I'd help you grow._

_Pieces of me would be the fertilizer._

_Pieces of you would be the petals._

_Pieces of you and_

_Pieces of me._

_Would we make a flower_

_That could withstand anything?_

_A flower that knew innocence when_

_It saw it?_

_A flower that chased away the evil?_

_Would the flower protect its own,_

_Or leave them to die?_

_How would it save them?_

_Sun, why won't you talk to me?_

_Don't you see?_

_This way, the paths we chose,_

_We were supposed to choose them._

_O' Sun, are you there?_

_It's an old friend calling,_

_I sing to you if I dare.' "_

She felt the dream collapse on itself, and realized that she was going to see her Mother very soon.

_Bye, Nathan Valor Lei Keen. I'll wait for you._

From very far away, she heard someone whisper in her ear:

"Azalea, I told you." The voice was. . . Happy.

"We're going to make sweet love all night."


	103. A Beautiful Leap of Faith

K*H*W* (go to my profile :)

* * *

><p><span>Chapter One Hundred and Three<span> _Azalea's Point of View_

Fragments.

Flickers.

Swirls of colors.

They all danced before her eyes.

Everything was turning dark so fast.

She felt mildly dizzy as everything spun away. The beautiful dream was gone. She wasn't in the gardens. Rapunzel was dead.

The happy dream was truly gone, never to return.

She wouldn't run anymore. She wouldn't see Nathan's eyes shining when they gazed into hers.

"_Azalea, where are you?_"

She blinked her eyes open into a new dream. She was lying face down on a clearing. She sat up then, her eyes blinking at the bright sunlight that almost seemed white instead of yellow.

The air smelled of red poppy roses and raspberry tea. She inhaled the aroma, enchanted by the bright sprinkles of wildflowers around her. She blinked then, becoming confused. Where was she?

"_Azalea?_" The voice called again.

She didn't know who was calling her, and she couldn't answer. She waded through the thick clumps of wild flowers, looking around with her greenish gray eyes.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned around. She saw Nathan's forest green eyes and felt his lips peck her cheek. She managed to think, _Oh no_, before she fell backwards.

Then, of course, they landed on a bed of daisies.

_Rapunzel's Point of View_

I clutched Anora and Flynn to me tightly. I looked around the clearing with wide green eyes.

"_Rapunzel, where are you?_" A voice asked the air. I gazed around, confused. I stared at the trees and saw a form ease from them. My eyes zeroed in on him.

The man was incredibly handsome. He had light brown eyes and short hairs decorated his chin. His brown hair was ruffled by the faint breeze that gently kissed our skin and I recognized him instantly when he came to a stop yards from me and my children.

"Eugene," I gasped. He was all right. He looked all right.

"Hi, Blondie." Eugene took us all in his arms. His eyes softened when he gazed at Anora and Flynn. He stroked Anora's face with his thumb and ruffled Flynn's hair when he grabbed him from my arms.

I held Anora close to me, my heart swelling with joy. Eugene was here with me. He was perfectly fine.

I looked over at him, and he smiled at me, his face quickly shifting to his 'smolder' then back to a normal smile. I giggled and looked down, still unable to believe that his 'smolder' actually finally managed to affect me. Our hands reached for each others' in the same moment and our fingers locked.

Anora sighed on my chest and Flynn's hands reached for the hairs on Eugene's chin. We started walking to the middle of the clearing, and the sun's bright light nearly hurt my eyes.

"Where are we going?" I asked Eugene.

"To Heaven."

"Oh really now?" I stopped then, and the sun's warmth faded from my skin as I regained my common sense. This wasn't right.

Eugene wasn't dead.

_Azalea's Point of View_

"Nathan, hold on!" She was fighting to get her breath back. Nathan looked down at her from sitting on her lap. Her clothes were in tatters, which wasn't right because they usually actually _took_ their clothes off before trying to make love. Nathan wasn't waiting. "Let me get my breath back."

"No. You're here and I'm here." Nathan said sharply. "You died, and now you're back. Let me make love to you. I want to make love to you." Nathan's eyes grew dark. "I need to."

"Just let me get my breath back." Azalea found it hard to breathe. The air that had been so fragrant with the red poppy roses and raspberry tea was now souring and smothering.

"Just a moment then." Nathan allowed. She looked at him with a new reproach in her eyes.

"Where are we?" She asked, suddenly realizing that she had no idea.

Nathan looked around then back at her. She tried to ignore the sun's dimming light. Was the sun setting already? "We're on our way to Heaven."

"On our way?" Such words didn't make sense.

"No more questions," Nathan leaned down to kiss her, but instead of the pleasant fire she felt before with all of their other kisses, she found her lips freezing. Nathan's hands found their way around her shoulders and he got off of her to pull her off the ground. She squeaked in shock when he pushed her against something solid –a tree?- and then laid freezing kisses down her cheek.

She wanted to push him away. "Nathan, stop."

Nathan forced her legs around his waist and then he was trying to get her out of her gown.

"Nathan, stop!"

The kisses were making the blood in her veins freeze and she tried harder to push him away.

"Why?" Nathan gasped from the crook of her neck. She put her hands on his shoulders and pushed him away with all of her strength and loosened her legs. He landed on his rump and gazed at her when she slid down from her spot on the tree.

"Something isn't right." She looked at his eyes and was dismayed to find them gray. "Nathan?"

His hair began to shine with chocolate streaks and Azalea had to get to her feet.

Jacob.

She wasn't free from him. Not even in death. She backed away a few steps into something solid.

Nathan, the real Nathan, stood with his arms wrapped tightly around her. He glared at Jacob and began to take rapid steps backwards with Azalea in his grasp.

"Nathan?"

Nathan blinked down at her and then she really looked around. The sunset, which had been so frightening at first, cast shadows on the meadow but the sun gleamed in Nathan's eyes, making them bottomless. His hair shone with faint orange streaks and his lips went to hers to cradle them.

"Hey, Doll." Nathan smiled. "Of course it's me. Who else would protect you from Jacob?"

"Um," she started.

"Don't answer that." Nathan looked back to where Jacob had been. He glanced back at her from the corner of his eyes. "I do have a song, if you want to listen."

"You're dead?" Shock and remorse flooded Azalea. How could she forget?

"If you were to die, I'd. . . You know, follow suit." He had said to her.

Nathan didn't answer.

_Rapunzel's Point of View_

Eugene rocked Flynn in his arms.

"You're not dead, Eugene." I told him, and realized then that God was doing me a favor. He was letting me see Eugene one last time.

"Of course I'm not." Eugene looked up to smile at me. "But I just needed to see you."

I couldn't stop the tears that flew from my eyes. Here we were, Eugene's little family, and we were about to leave him. "Is there any way that we could come back?"

Eugene didn't answer. He cupped my chin with his soft hand and kissed my lips gently. Then he grabbed a lock of my unbraided hair and I gasped when I saw it.

My hair was black.

"You can fix it." Eugene's voice broke my horrified staring.

"How? I. . . It's not cut, is it?" I exclaimed.

"All you need is a touch of the sun." Eugene smiled, his light brown eyes shining, and then-

Then he was gone.

"Eugene, no!" I burst. My free hand reached for where he had been a moment ago. Where had he gone? "Eugene, come back!" Why did he have to leave me? Leave us?

I scooped up Flynn from the ground who was beginning to cry. Their hair was dark as well, but their eyes were very clear.

I walked around the clearing then, to the sunset. A touch of the sun.

I scanned the ground around me for glowing flowers and found none.

"But if you're dead then the sun flowers won't. . ." Azalea's voice had trailed off in horror.

I began to sob, longing to wipe at the tears as they distorted my vision. I glimpsed a tiny speck of gold and I lurched down for it. I crouched and set Anora and Flynn beside me. I grabbed at the speck with a soft hand and blinked when I really looked at it.

The sun flower was really two joined sun flowers. They shared the same stem, but they glowed separately. I looked at Anora and Flynn, realizing that the sun flower was for the two of them.

Warmth flooded through me when I touched it, and I stroked Anora's face since she was nearest to me. Her skin began to glow faintly with the golden glow that glowed from my skin and touched her. Honey and blond began to run down her hair, and smiling, I reached for Flynn's tiny hands.

His hair gleamed brightly to blond and he opened his mouth to cry. Anora was silent when I looked back at her, I saw her chest begin to move as she began to breathe.

I grabbed a lock of my long hair; I touched the glowing gold tendrils with a trembling hand before everything turned black.

_Azalea's Point of View_

"A song?" Azalea blinked.

"I never serenaded you," Nathan reminded her.

She blinked. "Have I heard it before?"

Nathan nodded. "Indeed, you have, fair maiden."

Nathan abandoned the topic then, and grabbed one of her hands. He put one hand on her waist and she put her other hand on his shoulder. The slow movement of them rocking back and forth made her realize what she was missing. Nathan kissed the tears away that fell from her eyes. He stopped dancing and caught her in his arms when she started crying.

"Nathan, why are you here to remind me that I'll never see you again?" She wanted to push him away again, but her heart was breaking.

"Who says you won't see me again?" Nathan asked, pulling her onto his lap. His hands stroked her dark hair.

"I'm dead." Azalea whimpered into his chest.

Nathan shook his head. "No, Azalea. Remember in _The Story of the Moon_, when the stars had to knock out the sun and moon to get the ingredients to make a sun flower?"

"What about it?" Azalea murmured.

"You're the moon and Rapunzel's the sun." Nathan looked into her eyes, his black curls falling into his face. He shook the hair from his eyes and went on. "You're both unconscious now. There's a new one."

"A new what?"

Nathan helped her to her feet and led her to the middle of the clearing. He pointed to the ground, and she squatted to look. She saw a tiny sun flower composed of two sun flowers joined by the stem.

"What are you saying?" She looked up at Nathan.

"The sun and moon have made a new sun flower now." Nathan looked up when the sky began to darken as twilight made the sky turn a deep blue.

He looked back at her, his green eyes turning luminous as his body began to evaporate into smoke. "This is the part where you wake up," he whispered.

Azalea blinked when he vanished. "Nathan!" She reached for him with shaking hands. She couldn't believe it. He was gone.

The moon's light began to shine on her skin and she realized that it felt as warm as the sun to her, as it always had. She looked down at the sun flower, and was amazed when it turned a brilliant shade of silver right in front of her eyes.

She gently touched one of the petals, and then the world went dark.

"Azalea?"

_Rapunzel's Point of View_

I opened my eyes.

I sat up, wracked with panic. "Eugene?" Where was he?

"I'm right here." I blinked when I saw him come from the washroom. Relief lit up his eyes and he almost catapulted on the bed. His hands wrapped themselves around my face and gentle kisses were placing themselves all over my cheeks and eyelids. "Welcome back, Blondie!" He grinned and got off the bed, punching the air and then he raced out of the door.

Within moments, all of my friends were inside. Liam and David looked red-eyed and caught me in hugs while Olivia and Anna-Beth were crying their eyes out.

"You're all right!" Olivia exploded. She smiled a watery smile and hugged me tightly. Anora and Flynn were lying next to me, and everyone crowded to see.

Eugene's eyes went very soft. "They're so beautiful."

Liam grinned and rubbed Eugene's shoulder. "Good job, damn it."

I smiled when Eugene held Flynn. "How long have I been. . . Asleep?"

"You have been asleep for the eighteen longest hours of my life." Eugene kissed my temple.

Anora gazed up at Anna with wide green eyes with blue flecks and hesitantly reached Anna-Beth's face with a goofy smile on her face.

"Where's Azalea?" I asked. She had to be awake as well.

_Azalea's Point of View_

She felt a kiss on her cheek. "Welcome back to life as we know it, Doll."

"How. . .?" She felt herself roll off the bed and land on her back. "What. . .?"

Nathan started chuckling. "Rapunzel's awake."

"Eugene met them?" Azalea smiled but felt no will to get off the floor.

"And he's overjoyed, yes." Nathan was smiling as well. He looked over at her from the floor at her with dancing green fire in his eyes. "Are you all right?"

"I thought I died." Azalea murmured in confusion. "I mean, what the hell? Am I dead or no?"

"I am very glad that it's a no." Nathan smiled warmly at her.

"I'm glad, too. But tell me, what do they say about threes?" She asked, thinking back to her neighbor Pasley.

"I wouldn't know." Nathan's eyes dimmed for a moment.

Nathan crawled off the bed and helped her to her feet. His hands lingered in her hair, and she smiled when his warm lips crashed to hers.

"I am _very_ glad that it's a no." Nathan's arms wrapped around her.

"Now what?" She asked him. Could she hope?

"What do you mean 'Now what?'" Nathan asked. "We go to the crowning, and then eventually Olivia's wedding."

"Crowning?"

"The kingdom displays Anora and Flynn, it shows that they have survived, and crown them." Nathan smiled around her lips.

"And then what?"

"We enjoy the third chance God has given us." Nathan pulled away, his green eyes smoldering.

On the way to Rapunzel's room, Azalea had to ask him something.

"Was that you?"

"Me who what?"

"We're going to make sweet love all night?"

"Who else would say that?"

"Um, you."

Nathan blushed and grabbed her hand. "At least you got it right."

She rolled her eyes and nudged him. He nudged back, and then they shared a kiss before Nathan opened the door.


	104. The Crowning

Chapter One Hundred and Four

I blinked in confusion when Anna-Beth grabbed Anora. She took my daughter to the washroom and then Flynn was gone from Eugene.

"What are you doing?" I demanded, sitting up from dozing.

"We have to prepare them for the crowning." Maya said, giving Flynn to Candace. "And it's a good thing you're awake now. You have to get up."

"Get up?" I blanched. I had just given birth a day ago. Could I stay in bed?

"Yes, come on." Stephanie was by my side. She helped me scramble off the bed onto my feet. I winced when my feet made contact with the floor.

"You're kidding?" Eugene asked from the threshold. He had gone to the Dining Hall for some tea to revive himself some, and now he must have just been walking in. He spotted Azalea opening the curtains and Fernidia making up the bed. "What's going on? I was gone for just five minutes."

"The crowning is about to start at sunset." Olivia explained as she began to dust the marble mantle of the fireplace. Our lavender sheets had been replaced with a vivid purple, and I missed the color lavender. "Everyone needs to get ready."

"What happened to, 'No, no, Rapunzel! _Don't_ get up and strain yourself'?" Eugene questioned as he steadied me by grabbing my shaking shoulder.

"No such thing apparently." Anna-Beth came out with Anora, who was wearing a tiny little lavender dress. She pouted. "They gave me the same treatment, don't worry."

"Who made her that?" I blinked at the cute little gown on Anora's tiny body. Her honey blond curls were tucked under a tiny lavender hat with a white bow in the middle.

"You pick up a few things while being with-child." Candace said, walking into the washroom with Flynn.

Eugene looked at the dress Anora was wearing, and then at the washroom door that was slightly ajar. "What's Flynn going to be wearing?"

Candace popped her head out and smiled brightly. "A tuxedo." She squeaked and then ducked back in.

Eugene groaned. "I take it that we have to get ready, too?"

"Yes, now run along." Stephanie gestured for us to walk out. "Go to the dressing room. Rapunzel, Fernidia will be with you in a moment. We still have to straighten up."

I staggered after Eugene, who held the door open for me. His light brown eyes appraised the activity in the room and then he shut the door.

Once in the hallways, I hurried to one of the windows. I had almost forgotten what the outside looked like. Some of the windows were covered up with curtains and I pulled it aside to find the window without glass.

"What happened?" I gestured for Eugene to see. His face flushed and he looked down at his feet. I looked at his face, puzzled for a moment, and then I saw his hands that were covered in bandages. "What did you _do_?" I gasped.

"I may have busted a few windows out in your honor." Eugene looked sheepish.

I gazed at him in confusion for a moment. Then it hit me. "You did this when I was gone?"

Eugene nodded, and looked up at me. "I missed you," he said simply.

I felt affection shoot through me and my arms wrapped around Eugene's tall torso. "I missed you too." I murmured, recalling the panic and dismay that I had felt when Eugene vanished in my dream.

Eugene's arms curled themselves around me and then we stood there. The early morning light gently bathed the purple walls and hardwood floor. Eugene's light brown eyes gazed at me fondly when we pulled away. I pouted, not really wanting to go to the dressing room.

"Fernidia's waiting." I mumbled. "Is it bad that I don't want to go?"

"No," Eugene grinned and grabbed my hand. "If she asks why you're late, we'll say that you had to practice walking a bit more."

"Where are we going?" Excitement crept in my voice. Eugene Fitzherbert was an adventure with feet walking around.

"First a bite to eat." Eugene pecked my temple. "Then we check on Azalea."

"Sounds like a plan."

When we made it to the Dining Hall, I was remotely pleased to find it a bit quiet. My room had been nonstop noise since I had woken up and the silence was soothing on my ears. I sat down after Eugene fixed me a plate of toast and pineapple.

He sat down across from me and gently stroked my hair while I struggled to eat. I wasn't really hungry, and Eugene hadn't fixed himself a plate.

"Sorry." I made a face at him.

"For what?" He blinked at me, his hair messy and eyes bright. I felt my heart stutter at the way he looked at me.

"Is it bad that I'm really glad you stole my crown?" My right hand reached for his cheek.

"No," Eugene smiled and pecked my lips. "Not bad at all."

"Rapunzel!" Fernidia burst into the room. She looked around the room wildly, her brown hair flying. She spotted me and Eugene and her blue eyes turned hot.

I looked at him and winced. _Uh oh_.

"In our defense," Eugene got to his feet and grabbed my hand, tugging me to mine. "We started walking and she got hungry."

"You're two minutes late. Come on." Fernidia edged around the table to grab my hand. I groaned in defeat and pecked Eugene's chin.

"Bye, Eugene." I reached out for his hand.

"Bye, Blondie." Eugene pouted, but when we reached the door, his lips turned up in a smile and he waved.

Fernidia pushed me into the dressing room and I felt dizzy when I saw Azalea and Sarah sifting through dresses. I paled. "You guys haven't calmed down in two days."

"This is very important." Sarah tossed a black dress and I ducked, watching it sink to the floor. "Your parents crowned you when I was four."

"We can't miss this one; you have to look fantastic!" Azalea hurried to the dresser and yanked out spray bottles and jars containing the familiar mixture. "Okay, if we put her in a lavender dress, what colors could we use?"

Olivia exploded into the room. "We could use deep purple, red, pink, and daisy." She pushed me onto a stool and then pulled me off. "Go wash up."

I pouted as I did what I was told. When I walked down the hall to the dressing room, I saw Liam.

"Liam Kilter!" I called to him.

Liam jumped and hurried to me. "What is it?"

"Why is your wife so pushy?" I complained.

Liam started laughing. "They've caught up to you?"

"They won't let me-" I blinked when the dressing room door opened.

"Rapunzel, get in here!" Sarah screamed at me. I looked at Liam, an accusation on my face. He looked mildly sorrowful and bid me 'good luck' with a whole-hearted wave of his hand.

I walked into the door and screamed when I was yanked in. Olivia pushed me back up on the stool and then Anna-Beth and Azalea were spraying me with three different spray bottles. Candace began to pull and tug at my hair while Fernidia ran her fingers along my eyelids and cheeks.

Olivia made me shrug on a dress, gazed at it, and then made me put on another dress.

By the time they were all done, I was irritable. I sighed when they finished and stared at myself in the mirror.

I was wearing a full-body length lavender gown with faint lavender eye powder. My lips were stained with deep daisy and the dress had the traditional Corona symbol on the dress right in the middle of my belly. The bodice laces were deep purple while the bodice was actually pearly white. My hair was braided down my back and had lavender lilacs in the crevices. The dress had long sleeves and I rolled them back. My crown was on my head and I curled my hand into a fist, my engagement and wedding ring digging into my hand. I was so dizzy. Didn't things like these involved things like speeches?

"Thank you," I sputtered and hugged them. I had to sit down. "What am I going to be doing?"

"Well, you give a speech." Fernidia started but then I interrupted her.

"A speech?" _What?_ "I thought we just crown them." My suspicions were confirmed.

"You have to give a speech." Fernidia put her hands on her hips.

"I've never given a speech before." I mumbled, suddenly not trusting my voice. When did I ever have to give a speech? Was this part of being a princess or-

"Mother must have decided to keep this to herself to torture us." I had said to Eugene in the library. Here was another circumstance.

Great.

"Then you and Eugene walk up to your mother and father and they crown them." Fernidia finished.

I was still stuck on, " 'You have to give a speech'."

"What am I supposed to say?" I asked them, trying hard to feel the breeze that Azalea was giving me by waving a fan in my face.

"You're not supposed to say anything." Olivia said.

"What?" I blinked hard. "I'm not supposed to say anything but I'm supposed to give a speech?"

"It's a choice." Olivia glared at Fernidia.

"I just wanted to know what she would have said." Fernidia defended herself.

I shook my head and tried to stop the headache that was already forming. "Can't I just say, 'Thank you for not killing my husband when you had a chance'?"

Everyone in the room paused.

"That works." Azalea threw up her hands, slightly irritated yet amused. "I don't know why you Goldfinch Sisters have to make things so complicated."

Anna nodded, her green eyes relaxing. "You were giving her a heart attack."

I groaned, now thoroughly confused. "So speech or no speech?"

"You decide." _Great._

When we were all finally dressed, I was ready to go back to sleep. They were all dressed similarly to me. Something tiny would be different. The neckline, the slight shade of lavender, the sleeve lengths.

"And we're five minutes early." Candace checked the sky from the windows. "We might as well go and get to our positions."

"That sounded like it came from a war book." Azalea started smiling.

"You're silly." Sarah giggled.

I thought of something suddenly. "How's the treaty going with the kingdom?"

"The king said that it went fine." Olivia said. Then she pouted when we were in the hallways. "We're not going."

We all stopped. "What? Why not?" Fernidia asked her younger sister.

Olivia's blue eyes gleamed. "We want to stay here. We'll spend one night in a cottage not far from here and then we're here to stay." She sang in a sing-song voice.

"So you're not honeymooning?" Anna-Beth fought to understand.

Olivia shook her head. "We are, but for one night. We both agreed that we love Corona too much to leave for more than one night."

"But you bought reservations!" Fernidia agonized.

"Someone else can have them." Olivia shrugged. "We were planning to take you, Rapunzel, and Eugene with us."

"Um, why?" I blinked.

"Your honeymoon didn't last as long as it should have."

"We honeymooned for two weeks."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "A honeymoon usually lasts for a month."

"Surely you can give them to someone else?" I fought to stay steady on my feet. "We have Flynn and Anora now. Besides, Eugene probably would want to go, but he'd pickpocket the king if we met him so. . ."

"Rapunzel!" Azalea nudged me.

"I give up. It's a lost cause to keep him from pickpocketing people." I sighed.

"Azalea, do you want them?" Olivia looked at her from my side. Her golden hair was back, and bright as ever. Olivia's eyes turned warm. "You've earned them anyways. You've got them. Anna-Beth, we bought enough for four people. You could leave Sebastian with. . ."

"I can take care of Sebastian." Sarah volunteered. "I know Candace is about to burst, Fernidia, you don't need to worry, and I need to remind Sage that he has a mother."

"See?" Olivia smiled, nudging Anna-Beth who seemed unsure.

"Okay," Anna caved. "But when you burp him, you have to tickle him afterwards."

Sarah smiled. "I used to do that with Sage!"

"All right." I grinned at Anna-Beth and Azalea, who exchanged glances. "Now you have honeymoon plans."

"Who says I'm getting married?" Azalea blinked her greenish gray eyes in puzzlement.

We all froze again and then a blur knocked Azalea to the wall. We stood, jaws agape, when I realized that it was Nathan. He pushed her to the wall and kissed her.

"Go, go, go!" Nathan called, looking back to us. "I got this!"

We walked down the hallway, looking back at the pair worriedly before we started laughing.

"Damn him for being so nearby." Anna muttered under her breath.

"That was close." I giggled.

We stopped at the gate, and waited for them to catch up.

Azalea was complaining. "You bruised me!"

"And it was much fun to do so." Nathan's hand went around her shoulder, pulling her to him. He was wearing a black as night tuxedo with a lavender lilac in the breast pocket; looking at him, I could assume that Eugene and the others were wearing the same thing.

"It's going to be there for days." Azalea rubbed her neck.

Anna and Olivia looked red in the face as they tried to hold back giggles.

I looked around and then panicked. "Where's Flynn and Anora?"

"Right here," Guy and David were walking to us, along with Liam, Dwayne, and Eugene. Alex and Diego were a little behind them, while the Dawson Brothers were right behind Liam. Eugene was holding Anora and Dwayne was making faces at Flynn, who was indeed wearing a cute little black tuxedo. Adam was holding a sleeping Sebastian.

"Did they tell you that we have to make a speech?" Eugene choked and I saw that he was nervous.

"Did they tell you that it was a choice?"

"Did the king tell you that it wasn't?"

I grabbed Flynn from Dwayne and tried to keep a brave face on. "N-No." I sighed. "What are we going to say?"

"Sorry but there is no time to think, now go!" Liam pushed us to the gate just after the guards opened it for us. I saw a guard nudge Nathan playfully and he nudged back, his eyes clouding over with wistfulness. I realized then that Nathan missed being a guard. But then he kissed Azalea's temple and I realized that he didn't miss it much. He had Azalea with him.

Looking at Dwayne next to his fiancé holding Sebastian, I smiled. Everything had worked out.

_Almost everything_, Fernidia stood alone. Candace grabbed her hand, and pulled her next to David and herself. Fernidia flashed Candace a grateful glance and then dim sunlight hit my eyes.

I looked around, amazed by the smell that filled the air. It was lavender and something else. The kingdom was bright as the sun sank below the treetops.

"Do you smell that?" Anna asked from Dwayne's side. "It's. . ." She looked around and smiled. "Well, what do you know? Its lilac and lavender incense."

Everyone was quiet and then we started laughing.

My father and mother met us near the edge of the palace walls and then we were all walking to the square. I felt steadier on my feet and was chewing my daisy-stained lips in thought.

"Anything?" Eugene asked me.

"No." I pouted.

"Why don't the two of you speak together?" My Father suggested.

Alex nodded. "Build off of each other's thoughts."

Eugene and I looked at each other and then smiled. "Okay. It's a start," Eugene glanced down at a dozing Anora in his hands. Eugene handed me Anora, and I passed him Flynn. It wasn't my idea.

When we made it to the square, the wood platform was back. Instead of a guillotine or a noose, the platform held four thrones.

Eugene blinked and whispered to me. "Are one of those mine?"

I was smiling in ecstasy and pecked his cheek. "I believe so." Eugene had his own throne now.

Liam and Nathan patted Eugene on the back, and my Mother and Father went to sit down. I looked at the people of Corona, awed. They were all quiet, but they were all wearing a shade of purple. The men with dark cloaks had them dyed a deep purple, and they took them off when they saw us walk on the platform.

I was to rule these people?

The applause started slowly, and then it was deafening. The men gazed at Eugene and Flynn with pride in their eyes and the woman reached their hands out to me and Anora.

I looked at Eugene, and saw my friends file to the front row of the crowd. Guards were handing out flags with the Corona insignia and I saw Sage grab two, getting up on his tip-toes and handing one to Sebastian.

Then the kingdom went quiet.

Maximus was right in the front, smiling at Flynn and Anora. Pascal was on top of his white head between his ears and smiled warmly at us.

Eugene and I exchanged glances and scooted closer together. I realized then that we both hadn't done this before. I sucked in a breath, and then I started.

"P-People of Corona, thank you for coming to the first crowning that I consciously witness." A few people started laughing but I took that as a good sign. "I am pleased to bring you Flynn Damien Mendel Fiztherbert and Anora Sunni Mendel Fiztherbert." The applause started again, and Anora's eyes opened. She didn't cry, only search around with her eyes.

Eugene started speaking then. "I have to say, I'm amazed to be here with my wonderful wife and two children. I never imagined I would ever come close to ruling a kingdom, and I'm sure none of you did either. . ." _Considering that I pickpocket most of you_ _on a daily basis_.

"I am overjoyed to be considered able to rule such a lovely kingdom, and I assure you that neither of you will ever be neglected. We will never turn away from you when you need help and you will never be abandoned." Eugene went on. I remembered how his parents had been gone from his early life, and realized that he was saying what he wished that someone had told him.

I built off of his words. "We care for each and every one of you, like we would for our own," I looked down at Anora in my arms, shocked to see her gazing up at me. I looked back up and smiled. "You can always trust us because we wouldn't ever lie to you."

Eugene ended the speech that proved to be really short. "Thank you for putting your trust in us, and thank you for not throwing me out the first chance you had, though you tried." He smiled at all the guards, and the crowd, including my friends and family, erupted into more applause.

Father Peter and Father Dante guided us in front of my mother and father, and I realized that Alex was by my father's side. They held three violet silk pillows with crowns on them. Eugene gasped, and I realized that like his throne, he now had a crown.

My mother crowned Anora, Alex crowned Flynn and took him from Eugene's arms. And then-

My father crowned Eugene. Eugene's eyes turned red and my father wrapped his arms around him in a hug.

I had to wipe tears from my eyes and then the kingdom of Corona was all around us on the platform, yelling:

"Congratulations!"

Everyone was holding a Corona flag smiled, and glowing lanterns were being passed around. I gasped, and looked at Eugene-

My father grabbed one for me in time. Anora gazed at the glowing lantern in front of her eyes, and they sparkled as her tiny hands reached for it.

"Now!" Adam yelled over the chaos.

Everyone released their lantern. I threw mine up and kissed Anora on the cheek, laughing when Eugene grabbed me for a kiss on the lips. Adam and Michael were smiling at Fernidia, but stayed close to Liam and David. Candace started laughing when Azalea barely threw her lantern up before Nathan's lips were on hers.

We all cheered when the lanterns began to reach for the sky. I could feel the warmth on my face as the lanterns soared into the air.

The crowd went quiet as the peaceful mood settled in the air and then Fernidia pointed to the sky. "Look!

I strained to see what Fernidia was talking about. Then I saw a shooting star.

"Make a wish!"

_Azalea's Point of View_

"Make a wish!" Dwayne cried. He clutched Sebastian in his arms, and kissed Anna's cheek. "Go on!" He looked around at the quiet crowd. Everyone went silent as they shut their eyes.

Azalea looked at Nathan's shining green eyes and closed her eyes.

Azalea turns back to him. "What is it?"

He pulls her tightly to him and his hand goes to her stomach, on top of the baby that isn't hers. He holds it there, not moving.

Their eyes meet. His smolders gently while hers glisten with tears as she understands what he wanted.

She had wished then that Nathan could somehow be happy, with her or someone else. The wish had come true. Now she made a different wish.

"Six little Azaleas." Nathan was smiling.

Azalea counters him, feeling the ache to see his eyes on a baby's face.

"Six little Nathans."

"Azalea, look!" Nathan's voice made her blink her eyes open again.

"What is it?" She gazed at the sky.

She saw it then, and smiled.

A lantern with a green circle was tied to a lantern with a gray circle on it.

"It's us," Nathan breathed, and looked down at her, his lips curled up in a smile.

The crowd around them started whispering and smiling when Dwayne and Anna-Beth pushed Nathan and Azalea into a kiss.

She saw mild impatience form in Nathan's green eyes as he pulled away, and she suddenly thought of her birthday which was three days away.

Nathan and Azalea stood there, gazing up at the lanterns as they drifted higher into the sky after everyone left. They held hands, trying to glimpse the two lanterns tied together.

"I think we went away." Azalea pouted after the two lanterns vanished from sight.

"We went to heaven." Nathan smiled and pulled her closer to him.

"Whose idea was it?" Nathan asked. Azalea blushed, would he guess?

"Who else would think of such a thing?" Azalea mumbled. Nathan looked at her sharply, his green eyes glowing. "Don't answer that."

"Was it yours?" Nathan smiled.

She shook her head. "Anna's."

"She's amazing,"

"Well, if you think about it, she _is_ technically you." Siblings were technically each other. Technically.

"Feisty as hell, I see."

"Feisty?" She pretended to glare at him.

Nathan burst out laughing. "See? There you go!" His green eyes glowed in the gloom.

She pecked him on the cheek. "Now what?"

"I suggest a quick serenade?"

She smiled. "All right."

Nathan got to one knee on the bank. He smiled and looked down. He looked up and quickly flashed his 'smolder' before singing.

"We're going to make sweet love all night."

Azalea smiled, still trying to recover from his 'smolder'. "S-So I have heard it before!"

"You haven't heard this part." Nathan smirked.

"Oh really?"

"We're going to make sweet love all night and I'm going to wake up to the love of my life."

Nathan stood up and kissed her on the lips before whispering,

"Just so you know, that's you."


	105. Unease

K*H*W* (go to my profile :)

* * *

><p><span>Chapter One Hundred and Five<span> _Rosemary's Point of View_

"Carol, how many times have I told you that I don't do marigolds?" Rosemary demanded, looking at her younger sister who was staring at the women strutting past them.

"I'm not jealous." Caroline crossed her bare arms. "But why do they have more fabric covering them than us?"

Rosemary looked at Caroline's little dress and shrugged, though inwardly she was cringing. "Maybe he wants to see more skin?"

"See more skin my-"

"Ah, girls!" The new announcer spotted them from down the hall.

Rosemary and Caroline froze. "Um, sir," Caroline started.

"Are you lost?" The announcer asked them.

Rosemary nodded. "We've never been in the palace before, Mister. . ."

"The name is George Ratcliff." The announcer appraised them. He looked at Rosemary and she tried to suppress trembles.

"Where do we go?" Caroline asked the man, her braided hair shining in the dim sunlight.

"Right this way," George led them down the hallway after the women who were gone. He opened a door and gestured for them to go in. The sight of the room was a shock.

Was it her imagination or were some of the women actually in cages? She looked around to see Richard walking to them, holding a hanker chief.

"I found some lost maidens." George pushed Rosemary to the prince.

Prince Richard looked them both up and down. _Would he be more polite and stop staring_? Rosemary couldn't stop the trembles now. _We are more or less wearing undergarments_.

"We go in there?" Rosemary stared at the cages.

"No, no." George laughed. "Those are where the women are that didn't make it."

"Yes," Prince Richard breathed, his eyes going back to Caroline. "I'm sure that such fair women such as yourselves don't belong with these women." Rosemary couldn't understand his logic. The women in the cages were shockingly beautiful, none of them were merely 'pretty' as she had considered herself to be. The prince bowed to George Ratcliff to whisper in his ear.

Caroline blinked hard. "I can't see why they can't walk around."

"Shush, Carol!" Rosemary nudged Caroline into silence. They were in no position to question such things. Caroline, catching the hint, went silent.

"Right this way," George looked from the Prince Richard to guide them out of the room. The women staring at them in fear made Rosemary want to let them all out, but she couldn't, as the prince closed the door behind himself.

The prince and his new announcer walked side to side, with Caroline and Rosemary in the front. Rosemary caught Caroline's eye and gulped.

"She's the one," Rosemary heard the prince mutter to George, and glanced back to see him pointing at Caroline.

_God help us_, Rosemary didn't want her sister to have any part with such a ruthless man.

"What about her sister?" George mumbled.

"I'll ask my Father if he wants her."

How old was his father? The king was in his fifties. She bit her lip to keep from gagging and suddenly thought of the man she hadn't thought of in a long time.

Riley Welks.

She hoped he was safe and warm wherever he was.

_Azalea's Point of View_

"Auntie, where are we going?" Sage asked as they walked to the Stables. Rapunzel and Eugene were back in the palace, while Candace and David were out and about buying baby items from the vendors. Anna-Beth and Dwayne were with them, as were Sage's parents. Her friends were busy in town or the palace, and Azalea realized that this was the first time that she had actually managed to grab Nathan from running around with her father or David.

"It's a surprise." Azalea had asked Liam and Sarah for consent. Since they loved horseback riding and the foal was still a foal, why not? She'd have to let Sage rename Saul of course.

Sarah was bouncing up and down and Liam barely grabbed the door to pull it open before Sarah and her son were crashing through it.

"Why are we here?" Sage stared around.

Azalea ducked to the stall holding Saul and Mabel. She spotted Matthew down the hall and quickly unlocked the stall. She bent down to rub Saul's head, surprised to see how much he had grown. He was like a toddler in human years.

She found a carrot on the floor and used it to lure him out. Mabel neighed at Saul, but otherwise let him go.

Nathan was by the door and leaned against the wall, gazing around the stables with unreadable eyes. Sage froze when he saw Saul, and then Nathan sprung back to life. "Surprise!" Sarah, Nathan, Azalea, and Liam yelled. Saul and the other horses neighed, jumping.

"You're giving me a baby horse?" Sage exclaimed, his face beginning to glow.

Sarah smiled. "Happy Birthday!"

"My birthday was," Sage paused and started counting on his fingers. "One, two, three, seven, ten, five. . . Fourteen days ago!" Sarah smiled; Sage was off by a few months.

Azalea rolled her eyes. "He's just as literal as you, Liam."

"And just as handsome." Sarah smiled at her husband.

Sage tottered up to Saul, who gazed at the little boy with bright blue eyes. Sage gently stroked his nose and Saul licked his hand.

"He's nice," Sage said absently and then Saul started following him around the Stables.

"Well, now we're good." Nathan ruffled Azalea's hair. Saul nipped at Sage's hair and Sage started running out the stables, the little foal on his heels. Sarah and Liam bounced after their son and newly owned horse.

"Yes," Azalea smiled at Nathan. "Did Olivia say when the big day was?"

"She said in about five days." Nathan's eyes began to sparkle for some reason. "I'm going to go make sure that Saul hasn't bitten Sage's head off." He ducked out of the stables.

Azalea walked back to close Mabel's stall and was surprised to see Matthew standing in the middle of it.

"Hi, Azalea." Matthew smiled.

She fought to smile back. "Hi, Matthew."

"So you gave Saul to Sage, eh?"

"I had to face it that I've never really rode a horse." Azalea sighed and rubbed the wood wall of the stall absently. "The Kilters seemed like a good idea. Either them or Rapunzel or something."

Matthew eyed her, smiling. She looked down, uncomfortable. "How's your father doing?"

"He's. . . Fine." It struck Azalea on how unfamiliar it was to have a father. It made her feel like she belonged somewhere but then she remembered Alec and sighed.

"Something wrong?"

She shook her head. "He's been here the whole time and never said anything." She shook her head harder to get rid of the sad thoughts. "How's Rosalie?"

"She's fine. She's probably two."

"Probably?"

"It's not like I had her." Matthew smiled, but then his eyes gazed at her and she shivered.

"Cold?" Was he always so observant?

"There must be a draft somewhere." Azalea defended and then Matthew looked at her harder.

"No sleeves?"

"Yes, I know." Azalea sighed.

It went quiet before Matthew spoke, "I am sorry about what happened that night. Truly, Azalea."

"I know. It's fine." She suddenly wanted to leave.

"Do you ever want to go out for a drink sometime?" Matthew's eyes were piercing. She fought the unease that began to seep into her bones and shrugged.

"Um," she had to leave. She had to leave now.

"Azalea!" Sarah called.

She looked at Matthew. "I better go."

"See you around. We'll have that drink sometime soon, I'm sure."

She walked slowly from the stall and then catapulted out of the stables. She bumped into Sarah and nearly screamed.

"Azalea, slow down." Sarah looked at her pale face. "Are you okay?"

The world started shifting and tumbling. "I'm fine. I need to go and get drunk."

"What makes you say that?" Liam pulled them both to their feet.

"You know what happens when you don't do good with stress?" Azalea sputtered, trying to make the world stay straight.

"Oh!" Sarah realized what was going on and grabbed Sarah's hand. "Do these happen often?"

"No, but just enough to scare me." Azalea recalled the ones she had in her early life when Mother was never home. A panic attack, that's what Pasley called them.

"What's the matter?" Nathan was nearby, and then Liam was gone, putting Saul up with Mabel.

"I'm going to go and get drunk, Nathan." Azalea mumbled. "Come with me."

"It's not even sunset."

"We'll go day drinking."

"Azalea-" Nathan started but then Sarah pushed Azalea into Nathan's chest.

"Go for it." Sarah waved them away. "You guys need a day to yourselves."

"A day?" Nathan grabbed Azalea's hand. She stumbled, still dizzy.

"Do you ever want to go out for a drink sometime?" Matthew had asked her.

Did he even remember the last time she went on a drink with him? Did he remember how it ended?

Alec had said from the threshold of the spare house. "Go get her happy. I'll meet you there actually."

Nathan scooped Azalea up, and started walking back to the palace. "You all right?" He nudged her ear with his cheek.

"I'm trying to remember how to breathe. In and out, right?" Azalea asked him.

Nathan started laughing. "In and out."

When they made it to the palace, Azalea had to rush to the washroom and splash the entire basin on her face. She left the door ajar and wasn't surprised when Nathan walked in.

"Why?" Nathan asked simply.

"It's hot," Azalea explained briefly. Then she found another full basin and wiped water on her arms.

Nathan sighed teasingly and grabbed the basin. He pretended to splash it on her and she flinched. "Nathan!"

"Azalea!"

"Nathan, don't dump the water on me!"

"Azalea, you want me to dump the water on you?" Nathan gaped. "That doesn't make sense!"

"Nathan Valor Lei Keen-"

"Azalea Salta Keen-"

She felt herself freeze and then Nathan cursed himself. He dumped the water on her hair and then Azalea shrieked.

"Nathan!"

"Azalea!" His pretty green orbs lit up at her distracted face.

"You got my _hair_ wet!"

"Your pretty hair wanted to have water on it!"

She put her head in her hands. "You are impossible."

"False. The word says 'I'm possible'." Nathan put the basin down, watching her face carefully.

"Azalea?"

"Hm?"

"Do I have to erase your memory again?"

"Is that what you call it?"

"What would you call it?"

" 'Nathan trying to eat me for dinner.' "

"Anna would be so proud."

"Can you not kiss me right now?"

"I find that an insult to my job requirements."

"Job requirements?"

"I'm supposed to take care of you, and kissing you is one of my duties. Now pucker up."

Then they were somehow in their room.


	106. Courting Night

Chapter One Hundred and Six

I banged on their door.

"Get out the room right now before I have Guy and Eugene go in there!"

I heard Azalea and Nathan's bed creak as they got off the bed and then they opened the door. Azalea was rubbing her neck again, and Nathan's eyes were sparkling.

He looked around and then at me and mumbled, "Where are Guy and Eugene?"

"It was an empty threat." I smiled at the two of them. "Azalea, come with me. You and Nathan have a courting night."

"What the hell is that?" They both asked, stepping out into the hallway with me. I saw Eugene trotting silently behind Nathan.

I shrugged. "Stephanie called it that. I'd call it a. . ." A. . . "A courting night. Well, come on."

Nathan waved to the pair of us. "Wait, where do I go?"

"The Dining Hall," Eugene appeared behind Nathan who jumped. "Come on, Nat."

When we made it to the room, Azalea was yanked in and I smiled. Finally some justice.

_Azalea's Point of View_

"Ow!" Azalea landed on her hands and knees. She gazed at the flurry of activity in the room. Fernidia was once again waving a bouquet of flowers in the room while her younger sister and Sarah were searching through dresses and flinging the failures everywhere. Anna-Beth and Candace were sniffing spray bottles while Maya, who had pulled her into the room, and Rapunzel began looking through the dresser.

"Sorry." Olivia looked up. "Now go wash up."

Azalea walked down the hall after she was done, sighing. She burst into the Dining Hall and looked around the filled room.

Nathan was on what looked like a stool while wearing a black tuxedo. Stephanie was pinching in pins and acting as a tailor and Dwayne, and the others were nearby. They all looked up when she entered the room and Eugene and David quickly covered Nathan.

"Why the hell is this curtain on me?" Nathan mildly complained.

"Azalea," Eugene's eyes went stern. "Isn't my wife looking for you?"

Azalea felt the air push past her as the door opened from behind and then someone locked her in a head lock. "Azalea!" It was Maya. "Come on!"

"Damn it, Eugene!"

They started laughing but waved her away. Nathan's hand stretched out for her through the curtain.

Azalea was pulled away and the door closed behind them. "Maya, you act like I'm running away!" She wailed in complaint.

"What would you describe what you were just doing?"

"Checking on the productivity of men."

Maya huffed to keep from laughing and then Azalea was dragged back into the room.

She was pushed onto the stool and Rapunzel began to mess with her hair. Anna and Candace began to spray her body, and then they sat around. Olivia found her a dress to wear and pulled it over her, and then Candace and Anna were back to the spraying. Fernidia's hands gently caressed her face before Fernidia was gone from the room. She returned with a basket of flowers and then Rapunzel's hands grew more precise as she worked.

"What am I wearing?" Azalea attempted.

"Something red." Olivia answered.

"Of course." Mid-afternoon light flooded the room, making their hair shine brightly. Azalea blinked hard to keep herself awake and studied the basket next to her side. Olivia was pushing pins in places and Fernidia smeared something on her lips.

In the basket were only two flowers: white tulips and red poppy roses. She stiffened when Olivia stuck a pin in her side. "Ow, Liv, you got me."

"Sorry." Olivia murmured as Maya began to help Rapunzel with her hair.

When they were done, Azalea sighed in relief. She stayed up on the stool but stared at what she was wearing.

"I thought we weren't going to kill him." She mumbled.

"Wait until you see what he's wearing." Olivia smirked.

Azalea was wearing a deep red dress with the most daring neckline she had ever worn. The bodice laces were a shade darker than the dress, with the bodice being a bright red shade. The dress stopped above her knees and the sleeves stopped before the crease in her arms and were made of lace. Her lips were a startling pink tinted crimson and the eye powder was red-orange. Azalea's long blond hair was left out straight, though somehow Maya and Rapunzel had managed to make a braid start from her left temple and snake down to her right elbow. She saw tiny heads of the red poppy flowers and white tulips in the crevices and Olivia tucked a white tulip by one of the bodice laces. The shoes were red-orange as well, with a tiny heel.

"All for one night?" Azalea asked.

"This is a test on whether you and Nathan can contain yourselves," Maya said shortly before her face turned red.

An idea came to Azalea's mind. "You don't think we can do it?"

"Sarah doesn't." Maya nudged the young woman.

"I don't," Sarah admitted. "But only because you two have come so close."

"You guys have so much confidence in them," Rapunzel started laughing.

They shooed Azalea away to the Dining Hall now that it was sunset, and said that she wouldn't see anyone at dinner but Maya and her father, who were apparently going to serve them.

Azalea shuffled to the Dining Hall, on pins and needles.

Alex was waiting the door and he smiled at her when she approached. "You have faith in us, right?" She asked her father.

"More than you know." Alex touched her cheek faintly before saying. "Good luck," he held the door open.

Azalea went in and saw that all the tables were pushed back. There was a table for two in the middle, and there was a cream tablecloth on it with two lit candles. Nathan was standing by his chair, gazing around the Dining Hall. He heard her approach and looked over at her, taking a step to her but then freezing.

Nathan's tuxedo was amazing. It fit him in all the right ways, bringing out the planes of his chest and squeezing to his arms until the supple muscles displayed themselves. The jacket held a red poppy rose. With every moment, the tuxedo shifted from a tuxedo to something that appeared to be squeezing the life out of him. His dark hair was combed straight though his trademark curls curled by his cheeks. His green eyes were sparkling in their luminosity and smoldered as they appraised each other in a way that they could only hope was polite.

"You look. . ." Azalea had to gulp. They were making her eat with this. . . Godly handsome man? "Amazing."

"I was about to say the same thing," Nathan's serious face glowed when he smiled. "Hey, Doll."

"Hi, Nat." Azalea smiled when he pulled out her chair. She sat down and he pushed it up gently before taking off his tuxedo jacket and she had to cover her mouth to keep from gasping. The dress shirt squeezed him the same way as the jacket did and was as red as her dress.

"Problem?" Nathan smiled when he draped the jacket over the chair.

"No," Azalea had to look away. Why was he so incredibly handsome? He was only wearing a tuxedo! _But he's wearing a tuxedo that _Olivia _made,_ Azalea thought to herself.

Nathan took the red poppy rose out of the jacket pocket and handed it to her. "May I interest you in a flower?" He smiled crookedly at her.

She took it, smiling, and then remembered where her flower for him was. She reached by her -_Damn Olivia for putting it so close to the bodice_- chest and gently pulled out the white tulip. She smiled at him and handed it to Nathan.

"Why, thank you." Nathan placed the flower by the tall candles.

Maya walked up to them, wearing a much less revealing red-orange gown. "My name is Maya and I will be your server this evening." She winked at the two of them, and Nathan's face started turning red as he tried not to laugh. Maya held two menus and then walked away.

It was quiet while they gazed at the menus, and Azalea realized that she hadn't tasted either of these dishes. "Have you tried 'stuffed pig's rib with apple crisp'?"

Nathan shook his head, his eyes flickering up to her. "Have you tried '_Dear Nathan, don't eat Azalea yet. Wait 'til after dessert_', signed by Anna-Beth'?"

"Anna wrote that?"

Nathan looked pained and amused. "She's one of a kind," he mumbled.

"How about chicken and rice?" Azalea found something mildly familiar.

Nathan nodded. "All right."

While they waited for Maya to come back, Azalea gazed at the room for a moment. She looked at the tables that were pushed back to the wall and covered with candles. Then Nathan's voice caught her attention.

"So they attacked you, too?"

"And then they sprayed me with perfumes I didn't know were so readily available." Azalea mumbled. "How did it go for you?"

"They incapacitated me by saying that you were going through the same thing," Nathan rolled his eyes, "so I had to be quiet."

"Maya locked me in a headlock."

"I know, Liam told me." Nathan grinned. "I'm sorry."

Fernidia had applied a strange powder to her neck, so Azalea wasn't sure if Nathan could see what he had done. She rolled her eyes before thinking something.

"They don't think we're going to make it." Azalea pouted.

Nathan smiled. "In their defense, we probably won't." Then his eyes sparkled.

Before he could speak, Maya came back. She scooped up their menus and asked what they wanted.

"Just so you know, there is a deficiency to my menu," Nathan grinned at Maya. Maya started laughing and waved them away after getting what they ordered.

"Why don't we make them think we made love?" Azalea smiled.

Nathan started nodding. "I actually thought of that."

"Want to do it?"

"Of course."

Nathan was trying to hold back chuckles when Alex and Maya came back. Alex placed an entire cooked chicken on a silver platter with several sharp knives on the table. Maya placed bowls of rice with gravy on top next to the chicken. They both bowed and gestured for them to eat.

"The hell?" Nathan nudged the chicken with his fork.

"My cheers to the chef," Azalea murmured as Nathan began to cut into it. He handed her a slab of the meat and she placed it on top of a plate before beginning to cut it. They went quiet as they worked. Within moments, they had little chicken slivers in their rice like how they wanted it.

"The gravy is good," Azalea smiled. Nathan fed her a piece of chicken from his plate; Neither Azalea or Nathan noticed Alex grabbing the remains of the chicken.

"Thank you," Azalea smiled. She fed Nathan a spoonful of rice and he smiled at her, the corners of his green eyes crinkling.

"Thank you for feeding me," he kissed her temple. His green eyes were warm as they always were.

She blushed. "You're welcome, Nat."

* * *

><p>"What would you like for dessert?" Maya asked the two of them a little while later.<p>

"What are the options?" Azalea was wiping her mouth.

"A fruit salad, frosted cupcakes, or the new iced bun David made."

Nathan asked for the new recipe David made and Azalea asked for the fruit salad.

When their food arrived, Azalea fed Nathan a grape, scooting her chair closer to hers. They sat, chair legs touching, and pushed the candles away to place their bowls. Nathan cut her a bite of the bun and she bit into it.

The bun was amazing. The bread was warm and though the white frilled icing was sweet on the top, nothing prepared her for the warm chocolate on the inside.

"Have you tried this?" Azalea demanded, feeding Nathan a piece.

Nathan sat up straighter, dark eyebrows lifting in amusement. "Damn, that's good. This is why David is a genius."

Nathan fed Azalea a piece of pineapple and she fed him a chunk of cantaloupe. "How's Sebastian?"

"He's fine," Nathan smiled, and Nathan's green eyes darkened with something Azalea couldn't read. "He didn't miss you too much."

"Aw, should I be sad?" Azalea pouted.

She could feel the ache beginning to stir and wondered what was wrong. She looked at Nathan to see his eyes beginning to spark.

"I think we should go now," Nathan said after they finished the bun. They got up, feeling a little dizzy. Nathan grabbed her hand to steady her, and she could feel Maya and Alex watching them.

"What's going on?" Azalea got up on her tip-toes to whisper. She saw Nathan shrug a tiny shrug and then looked at where Maya and Alex were standing. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome." Maya waved. "Have a _nice_ night."

Nathan started chuckling. He opened the door and then the ache began to flare. _What_? She held onto his arm, suddenly feeling many eyes on them. They staggered to their room, beginning to pant as the need grew more and more.

"Do you feel eyes on you?" Nathan paused and looked around. "Eugene, what the hell are you doing here?"

"You must be seeing things," a voice called. Nathan and Azalea's heads snapped around and then someone pushed her to Nathan.

Shock caught her off guard for a moment, then the ache filled her senses. "Hi, Nat." Azalea purred, her hands going to his hair.

Nathan scooped her up like Liam held Sage and she wrapped her legs around his waist, trembling. _What the hell did they put in the food_?

Nathan opened the door and then they were kissing, falling down onto the floor. Nathan kicked the door shut and laid fiery kisses on her sore neck and then down to her exposed collarbone.

She dug her nails into his skin and then her hands were helping him out of his tuxedo jacket. Nathan's lips moved up her chin and to her lips. He was smiling as they began to roll on the floor, and Azalea found it hard to think straight.

"The bastards," Azalea mumbled around his lips, the ache beginning to burn.

"Yes," Nathan cooed lazily, his lips going back to her neck, "I think they put it in David's bread."

"That was good," Azalea's hands stroked Nathan's silky smooth hair.

"It was," Nathan admitted, and then his eyes turned hot. "Wait. . ."

"Hm?" She ended up underneath him. Nathan glared at the door, and then looked down at her with dancing fire.

"Damn it. They planned this!" Nathan regained his senses faster than her. He tugged her off the floor, gripping her by the shoulders, and hurried to the washroom. He raced a wet cloth on her face. "Azalea, stop." She was still trying to take his shirt off.

Her hands froze. "What?" Azalea had to blink to clear her mind. She went still in Nathan's grip. Then she gazed at him, suddenly understanding. "What did they put in it?"

"I don't know but that was close." Nathan groaned. His still-sparking eyes lit up. "We have something to do now, right?"

"Correct."

They quickly came up with a plan. Azalea was to jump on their bed and Nathan was to kick the foot of the bed to break it. Azalea threw clothes around and ran them along the floor to make the clothes shuffle like they were taking them off. Nathan began to groan, already at t his post. Azalea locked the door quickly.

"Azalea, why are you so beautiful?" He motioned for her to get on the bed. She jumped on it hard for it to creak and then she started moaning.

"Nathan, no!" She started jumping. "We'll get in so much trouble!"

"But that's the fun part." Nathan groaned in protest. Then he started kicking at the foot of the bed in time of her jumps.

Then she started jumping harder. "Nathan, don't stop!"

Nathan bit his lip and started moaning. Then there was just the steady sound of the bed rocking.

She started to moan louder. "N-Nathan, d-don't stop!"

Nathan paused, his face turning red with laughter.

She kept bouncing. "Nathan, harder! Harder!" She started wailing. "Yes, yes, yes!"

Nathan started smirking and he played along. "Yes, yes, yes!"

"Harder, more!" Azalea shrieked. "More, Nathan, more!"

Then they both timed it.

"_Yes!_" They both screamed and Nathan's final kick made the bed break. The bed fell down with a groan and she wobbled, trying to keep her balance. Nathan quickly caught her as she fell sideways.

The room was very quiet, and then Nathan sprang into action. He moved to the window with her in his arms. He set her down and pushed the curtains back. He opened the window quietly and he helped her through it. He glided through the passage and gently slid the window closed.

Once in town, they doubled over on a bench. She exploded in laughter and tears flew from Nathan's eyes.

"C-Can you imagine what Liam's thinking?" She huffed.

Nathan started howling. "Can you imagine what _Rapunzel_'s thinking?"

They went quiet before they started laughing again. Azalea tried not to bawl as she fell from the bench, giggling.

When they finally went quiet, there were tears on their cheeks. Azalea wiped at her eyes, looking at Nathan who was gazing at the water fountain.

"I have a surprise for you," Nathan smiled at Azalea suddenly.

"Really?" Azalea asked, pulling herself to her feet. Nathan's green eyes shone as they gazed at her and he grabbed her hand.

She was shocked when they reached the stables. Nathan saddled up a horse for her, and then saddled up Maximus. "Come on," Nathan said to her, clucking his tongue to make the horse begin to trot.

Azalea was amazed at the sight of the forest at night. Bright moonlight bathed the trees and vegetation with white, and the air seemed clearer as they rode through the trees. Nathan's head was a black flop of hair with white streaks, and he smiled when she came up to gallop beside him.

They rode down past the kingdom and stopped by a stream. Nathan helped her off her horse after patting Maximus's nose. They left the horses by the trees, though Azalea's horse wandered to the stream for a drink.

Azalea took off her shoes to wade into the stream, and gently splashed her face to free her eyelids of the eye powder. Nathan took off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves, wading in beside her.

"Your pants are wet," Azalea gazed at him as he splashed his face with water though the cold diamonds sprinkled onto his hair.

"And your ankles are drowning," Nathan smirked at her.

"Touché." Azalea amended. She had to really look at Nathan again. He was nothing like Dwayne or the lucky man her friend Rosemary had adored, but he was meant for her.

His hair, though some of it was spattered with shining water droplets, was ink black and curled by his cheeks and right above his dark eyebrows. His jawline was sharp and his green eyes were tantalizing, dancing fire. The supple muscles in his arms flexed as he caught her in a hug, and the sweet cologne that wafted from him made her heart melt.

"Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are?" Nathan murmured as her arms wrapped around him.

"Has anyone told you how godly handsome you are?" Azalea turned her head to kiss his temple.

Then she sighed.

"What is it, Doll?" Nathan pulled away with his warm hands on her barely covered shoulders.

"I don't know why you try and make me forget."

"Hm?" Nathan looked at her, his eyes very warm.

Azalea gazed at him. "I know you want to be married and I know you mix up my last name sometimes. You don't have to make me forget such things." And whatever Sage had said on his birthday.

Nathan blinked, his forest green eyes going soft. "So you don't mind that I call you Azalea Keen?"

She kissed him. "Why would I mind? I like it, actually."

Nathan grinned. "So I don't have to tackle you anymore?"

"No, well, if you want to." Azalea smiled. Nathan chuckled for a moment.

Nathan pulled her from the stream and laid down his tuxedo jacket for her to sit on. He held her hand and looked at her for a moment.

"I never told you how my mother died, did I?" The topic surprised her.

She shook her head. "No, but you don't have to." She remembered his sensitivity with the subject. "We can talk about something else."

Nathan shook his head. "I want to."

"Oh, all right." Azalea kissed the back of his hand.

Nathan gazed at the stream, the softly churning waters that were alight with the moon's glow.

"She became really sick after we found my father. She stuck around, and I say stuck around because she didn't have to stay with us. We had an aunt down in some other kingdom who could have taken us, but my mother was blessedly stubborn like that." Nathan smiled. "She had a cold that never went away. When I mentioned it to Alex one day, he called it whooping cough. He said that the elder and infants got it. Each day until I turned nineteen, my Mother found it harder and harder to breathe.

"One day, she was dusting their room. She stopped sleeping there after my father died and just slept in my bed. I took to the loveseat or stayed at Jonathan's. Sometimes Anna went to Candace's to give Mother a bed when I was home. Or other days we'd switch. Anyways, Mother was dusting the room that hadn't been used in five or six years. My mother was so stubborn sometimes, she always had to be cleaning or cooking or even sewing.

"The dust was too much, and she just couldn't take it. My neighbor came to check on my mother because he knew how bad it was. He saw her passed out in the room and he got us to come and get her." Nathan's eyes turned red and she clutched his hand tighter. "She only lived for a day after that. She called me and Anna in the room.

"Then she said, 'Don't hate your father because he hit you'," Nathan said. " 'I'm glad that he did, only because otherwise we never knew anything about it.' She said, 'We never knew that he owed money to people, and we should be glad that they never came after us.' " Nathan paused. "And then she started crying while saying that my father earned his last name. She said, 'He was keen enough to keep us in oblivion while owing money he couldn't pay back. So please, please don't be mad at him.' "

Nathan looked over at her and she kissed a tear away from his eye. "Then she said, and I'll never forget, 'He told me one night that he hit us all to keep from being dumb. He always thought that I had cheated on him and by hitting me, he was teaching Anna not to go and cheat.' " Nathan sighed. "He was teaching me to stand up for what was right and get back up when I get knocked down."

Nathan smiled for a moment. "My father was a very smart bastard."

Then he went on. "Mother died that night but I'm sure she's happy with my father now. Because after all, now my father has no reason to hit my mother, and my mother is back with the man she married."

Azalea managed a smile. "Thank you for telling me."

She kissed his cheek as they watched the water go by.

"We probably need to go back now." Nathan said after a while. Azalea sighed, but got back up on her horse.

When they crept back into their room, the door was still locked.

"We'll have to undress now." Azalea said, looking at the door. She took off her dress and gently mashed it on the floor. Nathan did the same and they put on some nightclothes.

"Hold on, wait." Azalea stopped Nathan from getting on the bed. She shook her hair and pecked his cheek. She pushed him to the bed, sat on his lap, and gently stroked his cheek. She sat up and pulled the covers back. "All right, done."

Nathan crawled into the bed next to her and rolled his eyes. " 'All right, done'. Thank you, Azalea, for not eating me for dessert."

"Sure thing, Nathan." She smirked at his sarcasm and they drifted asleep.


	107. Traditions

K*H*W* (go to my profile :)

* * *

><p><span>Chapter One Hundred and Seven<span>

We were having the oddest discussion.

Anora and Flynn were in Eugene's and my arms while we talked.

"All right," Guy asked the table. "If we were in a war right now, what would you contribute to our victory?"

Fernidia smiled. "I'm good with archery."

Olivia started nodding. "She nearly killed me."

"No, I didn't." Fernidia protested. "You didn't duck."

"Yelling, 'Olivia, don't move!' isn't going to make me duck." Olivia said.

I started laughing with Guy who said, "Oh, the joy of the Goldfinch Sisters."

Everyone was in the room, except Nathan and Azalea. Which wasn't surprising.

"I'm good with pickpocketing." Adam said, getting a thumbs up from Eugene.

"I'm good with-" Liam started but then Nathan and Azalea walked in the room. The entire room went quiet as we gazed at them, who both paused right in front of the threshold.

"What?" Azalea looked around, surprise in her greenish gray eyes.

"Something wrong?" Nathan blinked, putting his hand on Azalea's waist from her side. Sarah and Stephanie started turning red.

"No, no. Come on in." Michael waved them into the room. Azalea and Nathan exchanged glances and then shrugged.

Azalea sat down next to Anna-Beth and put her head in her hands. Anna smiled. "How was it?"

"What?" Azalea blinked and I saw a sleepy contentment in her eyes. Her cheeks were very red. "Oh! It was great." She looked at everyone. "Thanks, guys."

"So the bed isn't broken?" Liam grinned.

Nathan sat down and shook his head. "Uh, no, Liam. The bed is _definitely_ broken. Sorry, Punzie."

"Don't worry about it." I had to release a giggle. "It's fine."

"I'm surprised you haven't tackled each other yet." David looked at Azalea and Nathan.

Nathan smirked. "Who says we haven't?"

"So it was a nice night?" Maya sipped her tea, trying to look innocent.

"It was very nice," Azalea looked at David. "The bread bun made it even better. So, _thank you_, David."

It went quiet before we all started laughing. Eugene had to put Anora on the table and put his head in his hands. Nathan and Azalea exchanged glances again, shrugged once more, and then started eating.

"What's so funny?" Sage asked from his spot.

"Don't worry about it, Sage." Candace waved it away.

"Now what were you talking about before we entered the room and made your morning so amusing?" Nathan asked, annoyance creeping into his tone.

"War tactics," my father said, his deep voice grabbing everyone's attention.

Liam's face was beet red from holding back more chuckles. "I'm. . ." He put his head on the table and mumbled, "I can't talk. Someone else go ahead."

"Ambushing." Nathan said quickly.

Azalea shrugged. "Running, I guess."

Liam snapped his head up, his blue-gray eyes glowing with laughter. "Nathan Keen and Azalea Ruffins, what the _hell_ have you two been doing?"

Azalea got up from her plate of biscuits. She grabbed one, and on the way to the washroom, she paused by Liam's chair. She grabbed his jaw with one hand, forced it open, and shoved the biscuit up his mouth before excusing herself.

Everyone exchanged glances when Nathan trailed behind her.

"Damn." Dwayne looked at them leave. "Did we say something?"

Everyone shrugged, and looked down at their plate, guilt on their faces.

Sage still looked confused and looked at his father. "Father, what did you say that made Auntie Azalea so mad?"

"I always said," Michael started, "the women hate being told the truth."

_Rosemary's Point of View_

"Caroline Fennel," Rosemary started but Carol's shriek stunned her.

"I can't marry that bastard!" She fumed. "I don't even know the man! I've watched him order men to be hanged for stealing a simple thing such as bread and now I have to marry him?"

Owen Smits was just walking in. Having now known him for a year, Owen was one of their closest friends. Caroline had met him when Own had insisted on walking Rosemary home the day before his older brother Charlie received his sentence of death. Owen was now a strange constant in their life, and neither of the Fennel Sisters minded because they now had common enemies.

And Caroline was arranged to marry one of them.

"Carol," Owen started, his pale green eyes gazing at her.

"What? Hm? _What_, Owen?" Caroline turned to him. "You're going to help me run away? I'm getting out of Ladron the first chance I get. I am not marrying the prince! It's not like he's just ill-mannered. He's neglecting the kingdom that he's supposed to rule!" Caroline's eyes boiled. "The kingdom is only happy that he's marrying me because they think I'll change him!"

"Carol, even so, we have no choice." Rosemary admitted. Her younger sister glared at her.

"There's always a choice!" Caroline hissed. "And I choose not to marry a man who won't even feed his land." Caroline sobbed once, her eyes miserable. "He's letting us all die!" With those words, Caroline fled to her room.

Owen went quiet by Rosemary's side, and defeat filled the room. Father had died a month ago, and Rosemary could see grief in Caroline's green blue-patched eyes that had boiled with so much anger. Their mother wasn't taking it well, and now she was ill from a broken heart. Caroline had to marry the prince, not just because of an arranged marriage, but the royalty were taken care of. Surely the doctors that watched the royalty's health could find something for their mother? Either way, there were still stuck in Ladron. Their mother was ill, and Caroline had an arranged marriage.

"The courting nights been going that badly?" Owen asked in bewilderment. He sank down on a chair and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Can I help at all?"

His pale green eyes gazed at her with hope. Rosemary had known that Owen had found a liking to her, and though sometimes it was awkward having him around so much, his presence was comforting. Her heart yearned for Riley, but at the moment, she found herself relieved that Owen was in her life.

"You would think opposite, actually." Rosemary sat down on the chair oppose from him. "She's carried out in a carriage. I think they must go to the palace or something because she always comes back wearing something different. A vibrant sash or there'd be a new necklace on her neck." She shrugged. "But I can see why she wouldn't favor him."

Owen nodded, his pale green eyes dimming. She could tell from the way his shoulders slumped that he was remembering his brother Charlie. They went quiet, and Rosemary kept finding her eyes drawn to Caroline's door, hoping that she would come out.

But even if she did, what would Rosemary say to her? What would ease Caroline's heart at the thought of marrying the man ruling a dying kingdom?

"How's your father?" Rosemary asked Owen, looking back to him again.

Owen shrugged. "He's all right. Not too sad but he's lost the glow in his eyes."

"I can imagine." Rosemary remembered how her own mother's eyes had seemed to darken since their father's last breath. She could easily recall the look in Caroline's eyes because it reflected Rosemary's own face. Caroline had it easy, she could pout and scream. Rosemary had to be the strong one. Rosemary had to cast her feelings aside for the good of her family.

"Why don't we go somewhere?" Owen asked her. He stood up from the chair, pausing to look at Caroline's door. "She's not coming out any time soon."

Rosemary bit her lip before nodding. She followed him out the house and past Riley's old florist shop. When her eyes looked at the door, she found herself right in front of it, one of her hands on the knob. She could almost hear his voice as he sold his beloved flowers to his customers, describing which loves were good for their request, and which were not. How could his shop have emptied so quickly?

"I wish he was here, too." Owen walked up to her, his pale eyes going darker. "My mother loved his flowers."

"What did he give her?"

"Olives."

Peace.

"Did you argue in your house?" Rosemary looked away from the door, her heart hurting while doing so. Riley wasn't inside. Riley would never be inside his florist shop again.

"My mother and father never got along well." Owen admitted, and they slowly started walking away from the empty florist shop. "Eventually they stop clawing at each other's throats, but it wasn't long before Charlie was. . ."

Rosemary nodded then, and Owen went silent. They walked past the tavern Rosemary worked in, and even past the stables. Rosemary remembered Corona's Stables with a pang. They had always been so tidy and cared for. The stables here were barely put together, the wood was rotting, and she could hear the horses neighing in hunger. That had really struck her. Ladron was so bad off that even the horses were hardly fed.

Owen led her to the woods north of her home and she ducked under the trees to find a stream. She sat on the bank for a moment, realizing that her eyes were watering. She wiped them on her sleeve and looked at Owen when he sat down by her.

"You all right?" Owen asked her, his voice quiet in the gloom. The walk had been long, and since it was afternoon when they left, the sun was sinking below the treetops. Another day had ended for the kingdom to try and pull itself around.

She shook her head, and her chest began to heave as she started coughing. When Owen hesitantly put his arm around her and pulled her closer to him, she realized that the coughs were sobs. She buried her head into Owen's chest, the tears flowing freely.

"I-I just. . .C-Corona is better." She struggled to speak. Corona outdid Ladron is so many ways.

"Corona _is_ better, yes." Owen's other hand went to stroke her hair soothingly. "I never lived there, having grown up here, but the people who came here have been saying for a while that Corona is better, and from hearing the way you and Carol talk about it, I agree."

"I just wish that we could leave." Rosemary sobbed. "If Mother hadn't gotten ill we could have left. But we lost Father, and now she won't even try to leave the house now. She's sick and hurting. I don't know what to do."

Owen nodded, and she caught a glimpse of his pale green eyes as they studied the stream in front of them. The stream was hanging onto life, the bank was desert dry and she dimly realized that the drought that had plagued Ladron for months wasn't going away.

"She doesn't want to marry the prince but I don't know how we can get her away." Rosemary found her composure returning. "And she's right, Owen. She's right about him. He is letting the kingdom die. He and his Father."

"We'll figure something out, Rose." Owen said his nickname for her. She tried to smile and she sat up to wipe her eyes.

"If she marries him, then we're stuck. Really stuck. They'll make Mother and me move in, and then what? We'd never get away." The realization made Rosemary's blood run cold.

Owen's eyes gleamed. "What about we make you two unrecognizable?"

"How would we do that?"

"Ink." Owen smiled.

"Ink?"

"It'll make your hair black." Owen was nodding as the idea rooted firmer in place in his mind. "Has the prince seen where you live?"

Rosemary shook her head, glad that Caroline had been so stubborn. "Carol has always made him pick her up from one of the honeymoon houses. They're made of marble instead of the usual stone cottages."

"Good." Owen helped her to her feet. "As long as he doesn't know where you live, he'll be convinced that the woman he is meant to marry isn't here."

"What if he goes to Corona?"

"He won't find her there." Owen was grinning. She smiled back, and then they began the long walk home.

_Azalea's Point of View_

"Now, are you going to tell me why you stuck a biscuit down Liam's throat?" Nathan smiled.

"I had to make him think I was mad." Azalea was sprawled out on the bed of her former home with Nathan beside her. Nathan had come with her, and he was gazing around the house. "What?"

"Anna took over the family house and I had to join Will and Jonathan in their home." He was still smiling. "How many rooms does this house have?"

"Three or four."

His eyes began to glow. "Perfect."

"For what, if I may ask?"

"Babies." Nathan kissed her softly on her lips before staring back at the ceiling. "You know what we need to do now?"

"Go back and tell Liam 'I'm sorry'?"

"No, we need to cook."

Nathan got off the bed and grabbed her hand. He tugged her to her feet and walked to the kitchen. "Hungry?"

"If you're on the menu, then yes."

Nathan rolled his eyes as he got out a stew pot and set it by the oven.

"That pot, Nathan, will not fit in the oven."

"Who says it's going in the oven?"

Azalea found some tomatoes and found her cutting board. She started slicing the tomatoes and winced when the juice flew from the tomato. She jumped back and slammed into Nathan as he was grabbing an onion. "Sorry!"

Nathan's green eyes winked at her. "Don't apologize."

She had to blink and turned back to the tomatoes wordlessly. What was he trying to do? Make her cut off her finger?

Luckily she managed to cut the tomatoes without injuring herself before Nathan took the cutting board for the onions. She noticed that the pot was sitting on the stove and water was already in it.

"Where'd you get the water from?" She turned to him.

Nathan smirked. "It's not my fault that you concentrate so hard on cutting tomatoes."

She rolled her eyes. She had forgotten about the tiny well by the side of the house. When Nathan added the onions to the boiling water and tomatoes, he looked around. "Any meat?"

"No. I'm hardly here so I didn't want to buy some and it rot on me." Azalea said apologetically. Nathan nodded and then said he'd be back. He walked out of her former home, and she assumed that he was buying some.

**Nathan's Point of View**

"Okay," he said as he closed Azalea's door behind him. "Sarah, go take the meat inside." Liam, Dwayne, Alex, and Sarah were with him.

"And Nathan," Dwayne said as Sarah ducked in Azalea's house, "come with me."

Alex accompanied Nathan and Dwayne as they walked back to the blacksmiths shop. Alex showed Nathan the ring again, and Nathan purchased it. Dwayne smiled. "You two are obviously smitten."

Liam rolled his eyes. "Obviously, Dwayne."

"And last night, we obviously did nothing." Nathan smirked, and Liam put his head in his hands.

"Nathan Keen, why the hell did you have to ruin it?" Liam snarled.

"It's not my fault that you think dirty." Nathan defended himself. Alex started laughing.

"So what were you doing then?" Dwayne asked. "Because we could hear it from the Dining Hall when we moved the tables back."

Nathan looked at Dwayne innocently. "Jumping on the bed."

Alex started coughing in laughter and Nathan looked at the disappointed Liam. "Sorry, Kilter."

"Whatever." Liam shook his head. "Next time you actually do make love, let me watch."

"What the hell is the matter with you?" Alex glared at Liam, the laughter gone.

"Don't look at me like that!" Liam held his hands up in defense. "I just like to watch love bloom."

"You can see it in our faces," Nathan pointed out.

"Whatever, Keen. I was kidding." Liam started laughing at their serious faces. Dwayne caught Nathan's eye and shrugged. Liam was a strange one.

"Any idea on what you want to say?" Dwayne asked Nathan.

"I love her and the words will come when they do." Nathan smiled. He honestly hadn't really planned what to say, and was going by his own advice. _They'll come when they do_.

"Good luck," Liam smiled.

"No kidding. Her birthday is tomorrow." Nathan had to sigh. He took the black velvet box from Alex and smiled. "Thanks, Alex. And thank you for allowing me to. . ."

"You're welcome. I have a feeling that she'll be very happy with you and you didn't really have to ask me anyways, Nat." Alex grinned.

"Just following traditions." Nathan had to get back to Azalea's.

_Azalea's Point of View_

"Thanks, Sarah." Azalea started cutting the meat into little chunks.

"So what are you making?" Sarah hung by the door.

"A surprise?" Azalea stated her words as a question.

Sarah smiled and then paused, her hand on the door.

"Nothing happened, did it?"

"Correct, Mrs. Kilter."

She groaned. "Damn. I was so happy for you two."

"It'll happen when it does." Azalea mumbled. Sarah nodded then, and walked out. Within moments, Nathan was back inside. "Are you two planning something?" Azalea turned to him, the knife in her hands.

Nathan's eyes flickered to the knife and then to her face. "Don't stab me."

"Oh, Nathan, I'd never hurt you." Azalea sang in a sing-song voice as she added the meat to the stew. "The stew is coming on nicely."

"I bought cayenne pepper." Nathan sprinkled in the little red power. "Don't worry, Olivia bought it for me, actually. It won't kill us."

"But we'll lose our tongues."

"At least we have our lips," Nathan's lips pecked hers.

She smiled. "At least there's that."

"And our hands," Nathan's hand made her release her grip on the knife before holding it.

"You're silly," Azalea turned to kiss him before facing the pot with their cooking stew.

Nathan's eyes followed hers. "I hope it tastes good."

"Of course it will." Azalea smiled. "We made it."

* * *

><p>The stew was actually pretty good, though the ingredients were short and simple. When they walked back to the palace, it was very quiet.<p>

"Play me a tune?" Azalea found her flute and Nathan's harmonica on the dresser.

Nathan smiled, his green eyes sparkling before he blew into his harmonica.

They played to the rhythm of Nathan's song, "_We're going to make sweet love all night._"

She fell asleep, the words spinning her mind.


	108. A Flower's Special Day and A Speech

K*H*W* (go to my profile :)

* * *

><p><span>Chapter One Hundred and Eight<span> _Azalea's Point of View_

She greeted the morning by rolling over off the bed onto the floor. The first thing she noticed was that Nathan's side was cold. The second thing she noticed was how hard the floor was when her body made contact.

"Hm?" Azalea groggily made herself sit up. She wiped sleep from her eyes as she gazed around. Nathan's side had been made up, though she clearly remembered him going to bed the night before. She sleepily made up the bed before falling back on it. _Damn, so tired._ Azalea thought.

"You awake in there?" Someone knocked on the door. Fernidia?

"C-Come in." Azalea looked up when Fernidia opened the door. Fernidia took in Azalea with one trained eye, an eye that matched or exceeded her younger sister's.

"Bad night's sleep?"

Maybe her eyes fell below Olivia's.

"Oh, no. I slept fine." Azalea made herself roll off the bed again to jolt her awake. "Damn it."

"What's the matter?" Fernidia offered Azalea a hand. Azalea gazed at Fernidia with clear eyes. Fernidia seemed bright eyed and the dark circles that had plagued her eyes since Michael had come back were gone.

"Still tired." Azalea felt like how she had when she was with-child with Ava and was trying to make herself get up at the crack of dawn.

Fernidia sat on the bed while Azalea dressed herself in a soft red gown with short sleeves. She abandoned the bodice laces, not feeling awake enough to tie knots before she sprawled out on the bed with Fernidia sitting beside her.

"How are the Dawsons?" Azalea mumbled.

"They're all right." Fernidia shifted. "I still don't know which one to choose, if that's what you're asking."

"Which one makes you happy?" What a strange question to ask. It would be like –when she was still in love with Dwayne and falling for Nathan- to ask her to choose between the two of them. It wasn't fair, and Azalea could see Fernidia's dilemma.

Fernidia looked at Azalea and began to tie her bodice laces. "They both do," she admitted.

"If one were to die," Azalea ignored the sharp look Fernidia gave her, "which one could you live without?"

"That's harsh," Fernidia noted. Azalea shrugged. Between her mother gone, and never really having a father until recently, she had to come to terms with many things.

"Let me rephrase." Azalea murmured. "Which would you marry?"

Fernidia sighed and laid back with Azalea. "I don't know," her response sounded sincere. "I just want them both and I don't want to leave one out."

"Who's to say the other one won't find happiness, Ferns?" Azalea asked. "I know this sounds strange, but there are other girls out there just like there are other men out there. Who knows; you might not settle with either and find yourself a. . ." She lost steam.

Fernidia smiled weakly. "I get what you're saying."

Azalea smiled at Fernidia who then gazed at her. "Azalea, I can't believe I hated you."

She blinked. "Hated?"

"Yes, _hated_." Fernidia smiled. "I like to think you're my friend now."

"The feeling is mutual, except the hating part." Azalea rubbed her temples. "I was afraid of you."

"Why?"

"I thought you were angry at me. Anger always made people scarier," Azalea thought back to Matthew, "And now I know that you're scary when you're angry."

The room went quiet, and Azalea realized that it was a bright morning. Azal was about to fall asleep when Fernidia shook her. "Hungry?"

"Sleepy."

"Get up." Fernidia sat up and grabbed Azalea by her limp hands to pull her to a sitting position. "Come on, Azal."

"Fine." Azalea sighed and staggered to the washroom and wet her face. Fernidia waited by the door and Azalea put her forehead to it. "_Damn it_."

"What's wrong?" Fernidia rubbed her shoulder soothingly.

"You'd almost think Nathan and I did something the other night." Azalea groaned. "I want to kill myself for being so tired."

"Why are you so tired?"

Azalea shrugged. Why was she so tired?

"Busy day yesterday?" Fernidia offered. Azalea shrugged. She couldn't really recall. Her mind felt slow.

Then it clicked.

This time she swore in anger, not exasperation. "Damn it!"

"What?" Fernidia froze, and she saw a realization in Fernidia's bright blue eyes.

"Again?" Azalea yanked the door open and stalked to the Dining Hall. She was on the stuff _again_? "My goodness, whose idea was it?" She almost kicked the door open in her haste. The other table was empty. She thought nothing of it.

Everyone was sitting in the Dining Hall, and looked up when she approached. She felt Fernidia on her heels as she paced one of the aisles, not speaking to anyone.

"Azalea, you're only on it for a reason. Calm down, and I'll-"

"Fernidia, go sit down before I kill you."

"Let me know when you feel better," Fernidia was wise. She plopped down next to Anna-Beth and Sebastian.

"I'd say 'good morning', but you don't happen to be having a happy one, so." David greeted her first.

"You. . ."

She felt happiness surge through her system and she started smiling.

Azalea whirled to him, a bright smile on her face. "You are. . . So wise." She walked in front of the table and crouched in front of David and Candace. "You and Ace Card here will have such a pretty baby. Any idea on names?"

Eugene started choking on his tea and set it down, his face turning red. Rapunzel slapped his shoulder, rocking Flynn in her arms. She looked tired, but content. Nathan gazed at Azalea then glanced at Alex, slightly amused.

"We're thinking Cardell." David smiled, playing along. Playing along with what?

Azalea smiled at the name. "So a boy then? Aw, Candace."

"What is it, Azalea?" Candace looked at Azalea.

"His nickname would be Cards?" Azalea smiled and giggled. "That's so cute."

"Hungry?" Guy asked out of the blue. Azalea looked at the others, and blinked, her senses returning.

"Not really, no." Azalea felt irritation creep back in her tone and she bid them a quick 'good morning' before walking out to town. She shook her head at herself, trying to dispel her system of her bad mood. Today was her birthday.

She opened the door to her former home, and looked down at Rosemary's book. Odd. Did she leave it here the night before. . . When was she last here?

Azalea turns to him, the knife in her hands.

Nathan's eyes flicker to the knife and then to her face. "Don't stab me."

"Oh, Nathan, I'd never hurt you." Azalea sings, amused by his caution.

Oh. There it was. She had been here yesterday.

She opened the book and found that she couldn't lose herself in Rosemary's letters like she usually had. She got up to mindlessly dust her home, and recalled how she had acted in the Dining Hall.

Was she really on it? Or maybe she was just tired?

She sighed. Nothing could be, 'I'm just'. Nothing ever was.

"Hello?" A knock sounded on the door. She opened it, and was surprised to see Matthew holding Rosalie. He smiled warmly at her. "Happy Birthday!"

She blinked hard before grinning. "Thank you!" She stepped away from the door and invited them in. He sat down at the table, and for a second, Azalea was very happy to see him. He was the only person who said it.

"How are you celebrating?" Matthew smiled as she set the kettle for water to boil. The dishes from the night before were clean and she put them away before answering, joining him at the table.

"I'm not sure." She mumbled.

Matthew remained bright. "We could have that drink, hm?"

She smiled. "Whenever is good for you."

Matthew's  
>copper gaze intensified. "Anytime is good for me."<p>

The kettle screaming announced that the water boiled and she made two cups of raspberry tea before looking at Rosalie. "Happy belated Birthday!" she tapped Rosalie's nose. Rosalie's sleepy eyes opened a moment before they closed again.

"The rocking chair works wonders on helping her sleep," Matthew said, and she assumed that he had been following her train of thought. He stirred his spoon in his tea.

"I'm sure it does. I. . ." She abandoned the thought and her mind jumped to her empty stomach.

"You what?"

"I used to fall asleep rocking when Ava. . . When Ava was around."

Matthew went quiet. "Would you sleep well?"

She nodded. "I would. I would feel very. . . Safe." She looked down at the steam billowing from her cup.

"You don't feel safe?"

She decided to be honest. "I didn't use to."

"What changed?"

Her mother had hardly been around, and sometimes Azalea sat vigils waiting for her to return. Though Marvin's presence was a dim memory, she always assumed that her mother went to find Marvin to ask him to come back. Now she knew better.

Having no father figure in her life and her mother absent, Azalea had to become accustomed to locking the house up by herself. After the incident with Alec and Matthew, she had started having trouble coming out of the house. Jacob and Dwayne, though their presences were soothing, began to bother her and sometimes she sent them to their own homes.

She always, even now, had that fear that Matthew or Alec would come and get her again. Have 'fun', as Matthew had regretfully called it. She abruptly thought to her father and silently prayed that he wasn't like that. He couldn't be-

She realized that he was still waiting for an answer. What had changed? "I had to relax." As in, she stopped barring the door with two chairs and placing glasses on the window sills. She put glasses by the window sills because if someone broke in and knocked the glasses over, she'd hear it. She always slept so lightly after the incident with Matthew and Alec-

Matthew saw through her words. "It's not going to happen again." He stood up, sitting Rosalie up in his chair. She got to her feet and stood still when he held his arms out. "You can let your guard down now."

She bit her lip, remembering the one time that they had hugged.

"Why would you want to meet her? She didn't look anything like you or me!"

Matthew is shocked when he catches her in his arms.

"I built the conclusion by myself."

Azalea lets one sob escape. "No one bought it. I still have it."

Matthew smiles a little. "I'm sorry for. . .Our loss?"

"We both lost a pretty baby. She had my hair."

"What do you mean?" Matthew asks.

"Pasley said that I looked like a midnight goddess." Azalea laughs a little at the thought of her deceased neighbor. "Ava looked so pretty with the little dark curls. . ." She bites her lip and burrows her head in Matthew's chest.

Matthew put one hand on her back to hold her there.

Could she trust him?

"Azalea," Matthew looked at her, his copper brown eyes innocent. "Come on. It won't happen again."

She looked around the house with her eyes. What if it was a trick? It was only her, Matthew, and Rosalie. A baby, who wouldn't have any idea of what was going on. It could easily happen again and here would be perfect if he had the intention.

She staggered up to him and had to take deep breaths when his arms wrapped around her.

"See?" Matthew asked after a short pause. "Nothing."

He allowed her to pull away but placed a kiss on her forehead. She blinked at him, caught up in the light shining in his copper eyes. Were they always so brown? Her gaze traveled up to his disarrayed brown hair and she could feel her hand reaching up. Matthew's eyes closed as her hand nestled on his head and she couldn't bring her hand down. _What the hell?_

Azalea and Matthew's eyes locked again, and a trance settled on them. She couldn't feel anything but Matthew's soft hair under her hand, and the way his eyes gazed at hers. His head was slowly, slowly leaning in-

"The eyes were the windows to the soul", Pasley often said. What was Matthew seeing? Was he seeing that she was trying to tear her hand away? It was bad enough that they hugged peacefully. She almost thought she'd prefer if he actually _tried_ again. It'd be better than something so disarming and confusing as a hug. Or was he seeing that she was trying to trust him again? She wanted to trust him again.

And she wanted to-

Rosalie hiccupped and though the sound was tiny, the trance was broken. Azalea tore away from him and had to stand directly in front of the kettle and try to breathe.

_Oh. My. God._ Azalea thought about what had nearly happened.

"Azalea?" Matthew was very still, standing next to Rosalie with his hand on her tiny cheek. "Are you all right?" He could hear her breathing going shallow? _Not good._

"F-fine." She hissed through her teeth, turning back to him slowly so her vision wouldn't blur. "I'm s-sorry about that."

_What would Nathan say? What would-_

Matthew walked right in front of her and she couldn't move back. His face leaned into hers. "Are you okay?" His cologne was strange yet twistedly inviting. He smelled like rain-soaked pine trees.

She groaned and moved away from him. "I'm all right. Go h-home."

_Leave me alone._

"Why?" Matthew took in her eyes and frowned. He looked at her flushing skin and into her eyes. "If your pupils get any bigger, your eyes will be black. It was just a hug, why are you panicking?" Matthew helped her sit on the floor and put her head between her knees.

"I'm trying to be loyal." Azalea mumbled, even though talking wasted the air she was trying to get to her head. _We nearly kissed! I-I-_

"Loyal? Nathan wouldn't be mad at you for this."

"We were about to kiss, Matthew." Azalea snapped and wished her lungs would expand instead of shrink. _That would have killed Nathan-_

"But we didn't." Matthew's tone sounded mildly wistful and she looked at him sharply. "I told you I would give anything for a pretty thing like you."

She looked away then, her dizzy mind reeling. She had bitten off more than she could chew here.

She felt Matthew's hand go to her shoulder and then he pulled her to him. She was too dizzy to yank her body away, knowing that if she did so, she'd lapse into a faint. _Leave me alone, Matthew!_

"How is Nathan?"

"Fine. He's fine," she thought back to the morning and realized that he hadn't spoken to her. No one had really. _What the hell was that about?_ She wondered as her head spun. Her thoughts were erratic.

"You made love yet?" Matthew's question made her hurl herself to her feet. She wanted to shout curses at him, but as she gazed at him with fury in her eyes. Her vision darkened and she felt her body begin to tip forward.

She felt something cool crawl across her skin and she groggily opened her eyes. "What happened?" She mumbled.

"I believe a faint has occurred. Happy Birthday," Matthew's tone was bitter as he said the last few words.

Matthew. "Get the hell out."

"I will, don't worry." He sounded angry. At himself? _Good,_ Azalea thought childishly.

"Did I hit my head?" Azalea felt a throbbing above her right temple and sighed mentally. _Happy damn birthday, Azalea._

"I think so. Your head is hurting?"

She nodded and groaned. She sat up, looking at Matthew who had moved to the threshold of her bedroom. She walked past him and to the kitchen cabinet. She found a dose of Valerian and started to cut it up on the cutting board she just put away.

"Need help?" Matthew walked in the kitchen and picked up Rosalie, who was now sound asleep.

"I'm fine." She turned to him, not wanting him to leave feeling hurt. "Thank you for carrying me to my bed."

She saw a peculiar look cross his face and she set the knife down, the pungent scent in the air. She gave him a quick hug and then put the Valerian in her now luke-warm tea.

"You're welcome." Matthew looked at her, then at the door. "Maybe we'll drink later?"

She despised him for the moment, but nodded. "Anytime."

Matthew nodded, a tiny smile crossing his face. He walked out of the door and she closed it behind him. She sat down at her little table and sipped her tea. Since it was now warm, she didn't have to wait for it to cool. Once she finished, she felt exhausted all over again.

She crawled onto her bed and laid there, her eyes closing.

_Happy Birthday to me. Happy Birthday to me. Happy Birthday to me. Happy. . .Birthday to me. Happy-_ _Damn it._

She sat up, rubbing her eyes. No one other than Matthew had said happy birthday. _I mean what the hell?_

She was furious, furious because if Rosemary was here, she would have kicked the door down and insisted that they make a cake and a moment before midnight, Rosemary would sing. If her mother was here, she would have forced Azalea to sleep in late, and then invite Rosemary over. They'd make cakes and sing and then Azalea would cry that another happy year was gone-

_ But this year had been hell._

She had nearly died twice and one of those times was caused by a former lover. She had finally confessed to having Ava. And she had to face Matthew again, and now today they had nearly kissed. She had to accept months of no letters from Rosemary and had to grieve for her mother yet another year.

_But this year had been special._

She had met Nathan. She had met Rapunzel. She had seen Dwayne fall in love with another girl, who had a beautiful baby boy. She had seen Flynn and Anora, who looked like baby angels. She had met warm-hearted Candace, genius baker David, hilarious Michael, naïve Fernidia, motherly Stephanie, Olivia, sarcastic Guy, intelligent Liam, pushy Sarah, jumpy Sage, kind Will, gentle Jonathan, coy Adam, and wonderful, sweet Maya. She had reconnected with her friend and now wore a symbol of her Mother's love on her neck. She had discovered that there was such a thing as true love, because she could see it in Nathan's eyes that there was no other girl for him.

And most of all:

She had met her father.

After all of these years. Even if none of the wonderful things she had just thought about hadn't happened, she could –no, should- be happy for the fact that she had finally met her father.

She needed to calm down, and relax.

Since everyone seemed busy, or really just disinterested at the moment, she opened her house door and locked it back. She had no idea where to go, but she had to go somewhere.

She settled on the palace.

She peeked into the Dining Hall and saw that it was empty. She walked to her and Nathan's room and opened the door. Empty. She checked all the rooms, even Anna's and Rapunzel's room, which was risky considering that Sebastian, Anora, or Flynn could be asleep, but the same result. Empty.

"What the hell? Where did they all go?" She asked. Where were they? How long had it been since she had been in the palace? Two hours? What were they doing that had made them all just get up and leave? And where _were_ they?

A guard, one of the strange very few in the hallways, caught her attention. He winked his brown eyes at her and she gasped. "Adam?"

"Hell no. This is Michael."

She shrugged. "Sorry. Where is everyone?"

He shrugged and she noticed a cloud fall over his eyes. She went pale. Was that a good cloud or a bad cloud? "I don't know."

"The square?" Would she have to yank it out of him?

He winked again. What? "Maybe."

She walked down the hall and was surprised to see him right behind her. "Problem?" He asked.

"Are you guarding me now?" She looked at him, widening her eyes innocently.

"I figured that you seem irritated. And irritated feisty maidens, such as yourself, need supervision."

"Guard supervision or adult supervision?"

"Take your pick since I am neither."

She started laughing. Typical Michael Dawson.

"You also need protection."

"Sure, sure."

"I'm serious," he said when they stopped by the room he stayed in when he wasn't at his home. He came out wearing his trademark clothes of his red vest, brown sleeves and dark red boots with white pants. "Cute as a button young maidens, such as yourself, are prone to dangerous accidents." Nathan's words stood out prominently in Michael's statement.

"Meaning I'll trip on my own feet?"

"You're smart," Michael smiled at her when they walked out to the square. To her surprise, it was empty. Not even the vendors were there. The entire kingdom was silent, and Azalea put her head in her hands.

"What's wrong?"

"Damn it." She mumbled, and realized that she had been swearing a lot lately. She had to calm down but could anyone blame her for wanting to have a decent birthday? So far, talking to Fernidia and Michael was the only thing good about today. She suddenly wanted to go to her home and sleep. Maybe cry a little.

"What's wrong?" Michael steered her to a bench and she sat down, blind because of tears.

"Do people ever ignore you on your birthday?"

"Your birthday is today?" Michael sounded dumbfounded.

"Mr. Dawson, I ought to kill you."

"I apologize. Happy Birthday."

She tried not to wail. "You ruined it!"

Michael rubbed her shoulder. "I see the problem."

Azalea tried to calm herself and stood up. "It's nothing. It's nothing."

"It can't be nothing if you're crying." Michael exclaimed. He got up and watched as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "Can I help you with in any way?"

She shook her head and found that it was only afternoon. _God_, sleeping was going to be hard. "No, I'm going to bed."

"Where?"

She pointed at her house. Michael's clouded eyes cleared a little. She walked to the door, and put her head on it, the tears beginning to flow again.

"I can find everyone for you." Michael offered, his hand going to her back and rubbing. "They'll apologize."

_I just want this day to be over_. "No, no. I'm. . ." She stifled the sobs. "Bye, Michael."

"Azalea," Michael started.

She shook her head fiercely and wiped her eyes.

"Come have a drink with me." Michael turned her around.

She shook her head, then thought about it. If she got drunk, she wouldn't remember a thing. She could try the drinking game again, except with Michael, and with forty eight shots. It would work out. They'd both be hammered and she wouldn't remember how bad this day had been.

"Okay," she looked at him. Father Peter would tell her to be careful. She only drank to erase pain-

Michael smiled a little and led her to the tavern her father sometimes tended to. She stopped right before the door and looked back up at the sky, and then at the door. She looked at Michael.

"Why is it so quiet?" She blinked. "I mean, I know it is mid-afternoon, but there's usually laughing and shouting."

Michael rolled his eyes. "You know, I don't like your questions."

"You know, I don't like your impatience."

"You know, I don't like your tone."

"You know, I don't like the fact that today was my birthday and no one knew, so I don't like _your_ tone."

"You know, I don't like the fact that you haven't opened the door yet."

She sighed. "Damn it, Dawson."

"Is today a day for swearing?" So he noticed too.

"No. I just get to do what I want today. I want forty eight shots." She smiled. "And then I want someone to bury me in the river when I die from the fortieth one."

"Where the hell are your priorities?"

"Where the hell is your money to get us in?"

"Where the hell is your hand and why hasn't the door been opened?"

She sighed. "Michael, I'm not even thirsty."

"Open the door so I can get drunk."

"Fine, since you insist." She smirked at him and turned the knob.

She looked around for light and staggered in. "No lights, Michael. I think they're closed." She paused. "Wait, no. Why the hell would the door be unlocked?"

Michael was pouting. "Damn it. Wrong tavern?"

She turned to him. "Michael Juala Dawson-"

"How do you know my middle name?"

"You think I don't read?" The Corona civilian document.

Michael paused, and she could see the gleam of his white teeth as he smiled in the gloom. "I actually don't really like my middle name. If my mother was still around, I'd tell her."

"Where's your Father?"

"He's here." Michael was smiling. Smiling at what? "Somewhere."

"What's your middle name mean?"

Michael's voice sounded peculiar when he answered. "Cage."

"Odd." _Cage._

"I don't know why they let her drink before naming me. Adam got 'astuto' or 'foxy'."

Azalea scowled. "Lucky bastard."

"Indeed."

A noise sounded behind them. It reminded Azalea dimly of a match being struck, but the noise sounded like more than one match being struck. Candles began floating in the air before being placed on tables.

"What in the world?" She managed to utter before sweet cologne flooded over her and bright afternoon daylight filled the room as curtains were being drawn back.

"Surprise!"

Her friends and many strangers exploded from different spots of the room. Sebastian, Flynn, and Anora were lying on the bar and Rapunzel and Eugene quickly popped from under it, grabbing their children. Anna and Dwayne ran from the washrooms and Anna quickly grabbed Sebastian. Other civilians, it seemed like the entire kingdom was somehow fitting in the tiny tavern, stood by the windows and tables. Sage, Liam, Sarah, and David burst from underneath tables along with Adam, Alex, and Matthew. Alec and Candace smiled from the corners of the room. The king and queen were here as well, but had been sitting down on chairs the whole time. Maya and Diego walked from the tiny space behind the cellar that was out for all to see, with Fernidia and Olivia by their sides. Guy walked from behind Michael and was smiling.

So that meant that the person behind her was-

Nathan kissed her cheek. "Happy Birthday, Doll."

Michael and Eugene started smiling when tears spilled over. Azalea had to stand by the bar and uselessly wipe her eyes. The tavern was covered with poppy rose red streamers. Some of the streamers were a light gray, instead of the usual deep gray Azalea used to wear. The tables were filled with vases of red poppy roses, and everyone was wearing red or light gray, even the king and queen.

It was too much.

She put her head on the bar and bit her lip. _I've been crying so much,_ she fought to wipe her eyes.

"Oh, Azalea!" Anna cooed and ran to her. She hugged her, squishing Sebastian between them. "Why are you crying?"

"I'm so happy." Azalea fought to answer through the silent sobs. "I can't stop the tears." Anna smiled and Guy handed her a hanker chief.

"Auntie, no!" Sage ran over to her and nearly knocked her down when Anna and Sebastian moved away. "Stop crying!"

She grinned and the tears finally stopped. "Okay, see? I'm better now."

Sage looked up and she crouched down for him to see. He stared into her eyes and then smiled. "You promise you won't cry anymore?"

"I can't promise that, Sage." Azalea looked up at Nathan. Could he remember?

"Promise me that you'll run if things go bad."

"I promise." Nathan wipes away stray tears. "Don't cry anymore." He pleads gently, his eyes staring at hers.

She tries to laugh. "I can't promise that."

Nathan smiled, and she could tell her remembered that day as well. "Well, first things first."

Rapunzel grabbed Azalea's arm. "Birthday dressing time!"

Azalea was powerless when Sarah grabbed her other arm. She looked at Eugene in panic. "You approve of this?"

"Azalea, it's your birthday."

"Eugene, she's your wife." Azalea pleaded playfully.

"Just go and have a good time," The queen waved them away. Azalea started laughing and walked with the two women holding her arm.

They led her to the washroom, and closed the door behind them.

"Now, hold on." Azalea had to draw boundaries. Quickly. She looked at the Goldfinch Sisters. "I am not letting you, Liv or Ferns dress me anymore."

Olivia pouted. "We'll be good, Azal."

"I don't even get to choose what you're wearing." Fernidia sighed.

Azalea stood up straighter while her friends instantly got to work. She pulled on the dress Olivia offered her and they left her hair alone. When they were done, she looked at herself in the mirror.

"This is not a ball gown." She smiled.

"Correct," Maya smiled. "Do you like it?"

She was wearing a gown with a –finally- very modest neckline. The gown was red, typical Olivia, and had a long, flowing skirt. She was wearing white shoes with the tiniest heel she had ever worn, and the bodice was a pretty shade of pink. The bodice laces were white like her shoes and she was only wearing pink eye powder.

"It's very pretty." Azalea smiled. "You didn't go overboard like the last time."

"And it was my idea," Rapunzel smiled.

Azalea sighed. "I should have known."

She looked at her friends and saw that they were wearing red or light gray gowns as well. "Whose idea was it to coordinate?"

"Sarah's," Olivia smiled at the woman who looked down humbly.

"Are you ready to start the games?" Sarah asked.

"And those games include?" Azalea had to be cautious.

"Throwing horseshoes, archery contests, and Adam could teach you how to juggle." Fernidia smiled.

Olivia grimaced. "And I assume that you will teach Azalea archery, Ferns?"

"Well, if she wants to." Fernidia smiled mischievously and they all took a step back. The oldest of the Goldfinch Sisters went to a spot on the counter right next to the basin and held up her hand. She was holding a wooden box. Azalea stepped in for a closer look, enchanted by the excellent craftsmanship. The bow was elegantly crafted from cinnamon bark and she could smell the sweet-spicy smell when she leaned in. Fernidia smiled. "Want to try?"

"Maybe next time," Azalea saw the sheath of arrows next to the basin and felt daunted. "How far can you shoot?"

"Well, I hit Olivia when she was walking to me down the hall from the Dining Hall, so maybe twenty feet."

Olivia scowled. "You _nearly_ hit me. I felt the air as that arrow blew past me."

"At least you know I'm accurate." Fernidia grinned. Maya, Sarah, and Anna started laughing. Candace opened the door.

"Everyone ready?"

"Sure, sure." Olivia smiled.

Azalea followed her friends back into the main room of the tavern. "So what are you doing first?" David asked her from sitting on one of the stools at the bar.

Azalea paused in thought, looking around the decorated room. Most of the kingdom had exited the tavern. She was faintly relieved because she hadn't known most of those people. She looked at Anna as she kissed Sebastian's forehead and blinked. "Horseshoes."

"I hope you have good aim." Anna grinned.

They walked out of the tavern, and Azalea was amazed to see large activities going on in the Square that had been so empty when she and Michael had arrived. There was a large spot for throwing horseshoes near the water fountain. Adam and Michael were juggling nearby, surrounded by young children. A man was doing back flips with his partner, a woman that Azalea didn't know. The woman jumped at the man who was standing still and he tossed her up in the air with one hand. She did a front flip and landed on the palms of her hands.

Azalea was caught up in awe. "Who are they?" She asked Maya, who was standing next to her. The musicians were back, and were playing a cheerful sound that echoed off the walls.

"They're the acrobats of Corona. They used to live here but decided to travel to other kingdoms." Maya explained.

"Want to try?" Sarah asked her and started laughing when Azalea shook her head. Nathan and Liam were walking up to Michael and Adam. Adam handed Liam three apples and Liam bit into one. Adam pretended to scowl, but they both started laughing.

"Over here, Azalea." Rapunzel called to her over the music. Azalea found her way to Rapunzel and smiled when the princess handed her four horseshoes. She was next to Matthew, Alec, and another man Azalea didn't know.

"Hey, Azalea." Alec smiled at her, and she had to bit the inside of her mouth to keep from walking away. "Happy Birthday."

"Thank you," she said tightly and tried to smile at Matthew. Rapunzel looked at the three of them and something unreadable filled her eyes. Then she looked at the man beside her.

"This is our horseshoe guy," the man smiled at Rapunzel's words. "He's here a few times a year as well."

The man grinned and shook Azalea's hand. "I'm Oliver, and my friends over there are Jocelyn and Kent."

"Hi, Oliver." Azalea said, and felt relieved when Alec went to watch Jocelyn and Kent. "What are the rules?"

Oliver smiled. "Nathan's right: you do know how to have a good time. You only have four chances to make the horseshoe land on that nail over there." He pointed to a wood plank a few yards in front of them and Azalea could see a large nail that was painted white. "The paint makes it easier to see," he was obviously following her thoughts. "And when you win, you get to, according to our lovely princess, do whatever you want in the palace for an entire day."

Azalea looked at Rapunzel and arched her eyebrows. "Entailing. . ."

"Free buffet, you get to destroy all the pillows in every bedroom, and you can paint your room any color you want." Rapunzel was grinning. "And more, of course."

"What could be more than a free buffet?" Matthew asked, smiling.

"Getting to wear my crown and impersonate me."

"Great," Azalea smiled earnestly.

Rapunzel scowled then. "Since I have a good feeling about your aim, Azal, I have one rule: no sleeping with Eugene."

"Amen," Eugene came up behind Rapunzel, who jumped and started giggling. He pretended to glare at Azalea. "My bed belongs to one woman."

"Amen," Nathan popped up by Azalea's side. Azalea jumped and closed to her to keep from squealing. "Ready?" He smiled at her shocked face.

"Sure." Azalea blinked when everyone backed away from her. "What?" She asked.

"If you throw those hard enough, you could knock someone out." Eugene said. "Trust me, I would know these things."

"And how?" Nathan asked Eugene.

"You don't remember that one time you and Jonathan were after me?" Eugene began to explain, his light brown eyes gleaming. "I was on. . . Mint, I believe, and one of her horseshoes fell off. I threw it at Jonathan and then he was out."

Nathan's green eyes flew wide. "That's why he fell down? I thought he fainted or something."

"Was he okay?" Rapunzel asked, her emerald eyes wide.

Eugene looked down, sheepish. "I didn't see him for weeks."

"He sprained his ankle and bruised a few ribs. Of course you wouldn't see him for weeks," Nathan grinned.

"Eugene, how could you?" Rapunzel gasped.

"I was a very different man back then." Eugene defended himself.

"Azalea, try to get it on the third try." Oliver broke the conversation, though she could tell that he was entertained by their banter.

Azalea grinned and aimed for the nail. It flew a few inches short of it, and she bit her lip, throwing the next one. It flew a few inches higher.

"Keep going," Rapunzel coaxed. "Concentrate."

"You guys were talking about knocking Jonathan out with a horseshoe. I'm trying hard not to laugh." Azalea giggled. She heard Eugene and Oliver chuckle behind her as she threw the other one. It veered off the plank and Azalea started laughing. "No, I missed!"

"One more, come on." Eugene said.

She looked at the white nail and aimed. She sucked in a breath, feeling the tension behind her thicken as she took her time. She suddenly pictured one of her nightmares.

Something flies right above her head and hits the wall with a loud thud. She sees it crumble to wooden pieces.

"You have to want it, Azalea!" Jacob howls at her. "It's either you escape, give up!

Azalea surges down the hall, ducking as a vase flies at her. Glass shards land on her feet as she rushes past it. She screams a hoarse scream when a knife flickers past her.

She threw the horseshoe before she thought about it anymore. The horseshoe landed on the nail and many people cheered behind her. She turned back and saw that half of Corona had migrated to the horseshoe stand. They were all smiling and Rapunzel grinned.

"What day do you want?" Rapunzel asked her. Nathan was grinning and gave her a thumbs up.

"Does it matter?" Azalea grinned.

"Nope." Eugene said. He took Anora from the queen and pecked her cheek. "Did you see that, Anora? Did you see Auntie Azal win?"

She heard Anora hiccup and they started laughing.

They went to all the other activities. They watched Jocelyn and Kent hurl themselves in the air. They watched Adam and Michael juggle. Azalea had let Rapunzel paint a red poppy rose and a white tulip on her cheeks. Fernidia finally made Azalea pick up her bow, and to Azalea's surprise, she had gotten the bull's eye on her first try. Fernidia had been impressed, claiming Azalea had shot archery all her life because Fernidia had gotten the bull's eye much later as she had practiced.

"Back inside now," Alex looked up at the sky as he walked to them from the tavern. "It's about sunset now." He looked at Nathan, as did Eugene and David. Azalea blinked and then shrugged mentally.

"What will it be now?" Adam asked when they all, minus the entire kingdom of Corona, were back inside the tavern. They had all said 'goodnight' and wished Azalea pleasant birthday wishes.

"A drinking game." Alex smiled when he said it. He had stayed inside during the activities.

Michael beamed at Azalea and they both sat down. Instead of thirty six shots, there were forty two. Everyone crowded around them, and her Father was on her right side while Nathan was on her left.

"Who is losing what?" Olivia asked.

"Why do they have to lose things?" David protested.

"It makes it more fun."

Michael spoke. "If I lose, I have to teach you-"

"It better not be hypnotism." Guy rolled his eyes.

Michael widened his. "Of course not, Guy. I'd teach her how to. . . What do you want to learn how to do?"

"Plan a wedding." Azalea joked. Rapunzel and the Goldfinch Sisters started laughing.

"I'm serious," Michael blinked.

She paused in thought, her eyes looking at the tiny polished shot glasses in front of them. What did she want to learn how to do? "Does it matter?"

"Probably not," Adam answered. Michael smiled a wincing smile at his older brother before turning back to her.

"If you lose, what will I get in return?"

"You, my good friend, get to make all the dirty jokes you want about Nathan and me."

Michael grinned. "Seriously?"

Nathan sounded panicked. "_Seriously_?"

She grabbed a lock of his hair and gently pulled him down to her level. She whispered in his ear, "I'll win, don't worry."

"You are so on." Michael grinned. Nathan muttered a curse, looking nervous. His green eyes went to Azalea's face and he blinked. She was trying not to smile. Nathan had no idea how much she used to drink. Not that she was proud of it.

"I don't agree with the conditions of this drinking game." Anna said quickly. Nathan flashed her a grateful glance.

"Azalea wins, you teach her how to. . ."

"For goodness sake, just go." Eugene smirked.

"Eugene, I am so flattered that you want me to be drunk." Michael smiled at Eugene.

"I actually want to see Azalea drunk. I've never seen her drunk." Eugene said. Azalea gaped at him.

"And you see everyone drunk?"

"Yup. I will admit, Rapunzel was the funniest." He smiled at his wife.

Everyone froze and Azalea gasped. "Rapunzel, you've been drunk?"

Rapunzel looked down, sheepish. "I wouldn't define it drunk."

"How would you define it?" Azalea's father mumbled.

"Lack of balance and judgment."

Everyone went quiet as they processed her words.

"What did you _do_?" Candace breathed.

Rapunzel turned pink in discomfort. "I jumped on the bed until I was sick and then I nearly broke a window trying to open it."

"You tried to open it with a lamp." Eugene smiled.

"And then once it was open, I tried to crawl through it and Eugene had to stop me."

"How did you stop her?" Liam smiled.

"What do you mean how did I stop her?" Eugene exclaimed. He looked at Michael. "If you're still alive after this game, go against Liam."

"So he can stop being dirty?" Michael smiled.

Liam protested. "Being dirty is a lifestyle I enjoy. You can't make me stop being dirty."

"No lovemaking for a month." Sarah looked at Liam, who looked down.

"But, Sack of Love, I love you."

"Don't be dirty anymore."

"It's a lifestyle."

"No lovemaking."

Liam cursed and put his head on the table. "Fine. I'll be quiet."

"I love you," Sarah cooed to him and caught him in a hug. The king and Alex started chuckling.

Michael turned back to the game. "If I lose, you can expect an apple pie from me every two nights."

"I love apple pie," Olivia moaned.

"Liv, hush." Guy ruffled her hair, his green eyes warm with affection.

"And if I lose, you can say all the dirty jokes you want." Azalea sighed.

Liam grinned. "All right. Michael, if you run out of steam, just come to me."

"Will do, Mr. Kilter."

"Damn." Guy looked at Nathan and then Azalea. "Are you sure you want this?"

"Um," Nathan looked at Azalea. "All right." He glared playfully at Liam and then Rapunzel announced for them to start.

Azalea and Michael looked at each other, each one holding a shot glass but not moving. Michael started a conversation.

"So, how are you?"

"I'm good." She downed the shot and Michael downed his. They both picked up another, not drinking it. "How are you?"

Another shot down. "Great."

"What was your favorite part about today?"

Another two shorts.

"Jocelyn and Kent were amazing."

Three shots.

"But now I get to paint the room green with red stripes and blue dots."

Rapunzel looked pained. "Where's the logic in that?"

"Punzie, I want the room green with red stripes and blue dots." Azalea said as they began to down the shots faster. "Michael, do you like the idea of keeping down forty two shots?"

"No," Michael groaned. "I'm only at twenty one. How many are you at?"

"Twenty five."

"Damn, you're quick."

"I have a high tolerance to. . ." Azalea blinked. "What are we drinking?"

Liam grinned. "Scotch and whiskey."

Michael looked down, pausing. "Which ones are the whiskey?"

"Let me rephrase. Scotch _and_ whiskey."

"Oh." Michael blinked as he kept gulping the shots down.

After a short while, Azalea was finding herself turning green. "Oh, God." She had to stop. She set down her thirty-sixth shot.

Michael was two behind and looked as green as her. "Who the hell poured forty two shots?"

"That would be me," Alec said from watching next to Matthew and his older brother. Azalea looked at him, and then tried to gulp down two more.

"Michael, pretend that it's water."

"Right." Michael and Azalea were now gulping down the shots in sync. They were both tied at forty one. They both held them up and bit their lips. "I've never felt so sick in my life."

"Maybe you should stop," Sarah looked at them worriedly.

"No." Michael groaned. "I have to do this. At the same time, all right?" He looked at Azalea and Nathan, who had been rubbing her shoulder the entire time.

"I don't trust you." Azalea put the shot down and rubbed her temples.

"I don't trust me either."

She looked up at him and realized the double meaning of his words. He still didn't trust himself after the incident with training? He tried to smile but his eyes were piercing.

"At the same time," Azalea mumbled, picking up the shot again.

They both swallowed it at the same time, and then Michael put his head on the table, cursing. "You okay?" Nathan asked him.

Michael looked up, his face green. "I don't think I can handle anymore."

Azalea realized how quiet the room was and looked up to see her friends looking at Nathan. They looked at Azalea in the same moment and she looked down at the shot glass. She grabbed it but before she could put it to her lips, a cold hand was on her hand on the table.

Alec crouched down, his hand on hers, looking into her eyes. "One more. Go for it."

"Do you think that's enough dots?" Matthew asks, and Azalea wants the pain to end.

Alec inspects her back. "One more, Matthew. Go for it." She hears his voice but she doesn't hear the pain in it.

Azalea put the shot to her lips, gulping it down before she sprang away from the table. She hurried to the washroom, Michael on her heels. She made it to the women's restroom, closed the door, and was sick. She stopped heaving, and laid on the floor, trying to make her heart beat normally again.

She managed to get herself off the floor and rinse her mouth, grateful that she had grabbed a basin and that her mess wasn't on the wood floor. She fell against the door, her heart pounding.

"I don't get drunk. In fact, I hardly had a sip." Alec had said as he pulled her into the shadows of night.

"Azalea?" The wicked man was knocking on the door. She flung it open and looked at him. His brown eyes shone with something unreadable. Something strange made his eyebrows slant and his hands shake. He almost seemed nervous to be around her. "You're alone. . ." The main room of the tavern was bursting with noise.

She glared at him and then looked down the hall to see Nathan and Alex walking to them. Alec took a step back, looking at his older brother. "I was just making sure she's okay."

"Sure you were," Alex said in a chipped tone. "Step away."

"Why? She's my niece."

Azalea felt the ground wobble under her feet. _Sweet baby Jesus_, she had to grab onto the doorframe for support. How could she forget? Alex was her father, making his brother Alec her uncle.

Nathan looked sick. "What?. . . You. . . You tried with your own niece?"

"I beg your pardon?" Alex looked at Nathan, disturbed. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"He tried with Azalea a few years ago." Nathan sounded perplexed and angry. "You never knew?"

Alec looked uncomfortable when Alex turned to glare at him. "I only caught him with one girl." The main room went quiet.

_I'm not the only one?_ Azalea gasped in her mind. She staggered back into the washroom, looking at Alec reproachfully.

"My God, what the hell is the matter with you?" Nathan looked enraged. "How many girls have you hurt that way?"

Alec blinked, regaining bravado. "Two or three. One's not around anymore." The sadness in his eyes contradict the nonchalance in his voice.

Alex clenched his hands into fists. "What the hell does that mean?"

"Why should I tell you? She's not here." Alec looked at his older brother.

"What's going on?" Dwayne was walking down the hall. "What's this about girls?"

He looked at the four of them: Nathan and Alex glaring daggers at Alec, who was trying to look at ease while his hands were trembling. He spotted Azalea huddled in the washroom and blinked. "What's going on?" He repeated in a dangerous tone.

"Apparently, Dwayne, our good friend Alec has tried with more than one girl." Nathan growled. "And one of those girls happens to be his niece."

Dwayne went very still. "_What?_" he demanded, his dark gray eyes beginning to boil.

"What were you going to do, hm?" Nathan looked at Alec, the rage in his green eyes growing. "Azalea was back here all alone. Michael's back with Guy and Adam. So what were you going to do when you walked back here?"

Azalea went pale. She hadn't thought of that. She _had_ been all alone.

Alec went quiet, indecision etched on his face, and Dwayne snapped. "I ought to beat the all-living hell out of you!" he hurled himself at Alec.

"No, Dwayne, stop!" Liam streamed down the hall. Nathan was shouting curses at Alec while her father tried to coax Azalea out of the washroom. Liam yanked Dwayne off of Alec, glaring at the younger Ruffins.

"Tell me why, Liam." Dwayne stood up straight, looking at Alec who now had a bloody nose. "He has. . . Tried with our friend, Azalea. So, Liam, why should he be living?"

"Dwayne, you need to calm down." Liam looked back down the hall to the very quiet main room.

"The hell I need to!" Dwayne snapped. "He has hurt more than one girl."

"What?" Liam looked at Dwayne, incredulity in his blue-gray eyes.

"You heard me." Dwayne said quietly.

Liam blinked and released his grip on Dwayne's shoulders.

"Kill him."

The king came to them and they all tried to regain their composure. Azalea was wiping tears from her cheeks, not knowing how they got there. All she could think about were the girls as they cried. How had he hurt them? Had he branded them too? Had Matthew been there too? The girls screaming and crying, much like she had been-

"Alec, what is going on here?" The king asked sharply.

Alex grabbed Azalea off the floor into a hug. "It's okay, baby girl. Don't cry. It's all right."

She bit her lip to stop the flow of tears. "What's going to happen to him?"

"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn what happens to him," Alex said loudly as he helped Azalea down the hall, past Nathan, Dwayne, the king, and his younger brother. "Easy, there."

She sat on the stool, looking at Michael next to her. He looked concerned. "You okay?"

She nodded and wiped at her face. Red and white paint came off onto her hands. She looked around for Rapunzel, a little unnerved to see her friends watching her. Rapunzel looked at her hands. "Sorry, Punzie."

"It's fine, Azal." Rapunzel flashed her a pained smile and Azalea realized that they had all heard a great deal of their talking. "I'll repaint it."

Sarah tried to smile as well. "I brought the paint."

Azalea felt something walk on her hands and looked down to see Pascal. She smiled at him. "Well, look who's here!"

Pascal smiled and turned a bright pink. Rapunzel started smiling.

"Where has he been, Rapunzel?" Azalea asked him.

"He's been checking on the tower for me." Rapunzel's smile was more heartfelt. "He and Maximus go out every few months." The smile faded for a moment. "They haven't checked in a while."

"No, Alec, you cannot." The king said as they all filed back into the main room. "If I see you anymore, I will order you hanged. Trying with women who are not married to you is considered a crime. You're lucky that I only have voices as evidence and I haven't caught you in the act. I believe them and I will not tolerate you in Corona anymore."

Alec looked miserable. "So, I'm banished?"

"Yes."

"You cannot do that." He glared at Rapunzel's father.

"What have you contributed to Corona, Alec?" The king drew himself to his full height. "You have given us few things that will benefit the kingdom and you have harmed citizens of Corona." The king snipped. "I _will not_ tolerate your presence in Corona no longer. You leave at the end of this week if not sooner."

"Your Highness-"

"Good day." The king walked back to them, catching Azalea's gaze and nodding.

Alec turned to his older brother, who took a step back. "Alex, surely, you can. . ."

"Good day, Alec." Alex walked to the bar and sat down next to Michael and Azalea.

Alec looked around, lost, and for a heartbeat, Azalea felt sorry for him. He was her uncle, and now he was being banished. But then the sympathy ebbed away. The few times they had encountered each other weren't very good. Who knows what would have happened if Alex and Nathan hadn't walked down the hall.

Alec bit his lip and stalked from the tavern, slamming the door behind him.

Azalea watched him go, playing with a strand of her hair. Now Alec was gone. She peeked at her father's face. He caught her eye and smiled, his eyes crinkling. He didn't look upset, but then again she looked at his brown eyes and saw that they were livid. At her? At Alec? She mentally shrugged, trying to rejuvenate herself.

But she couldn't.

The door slams shut.

She stands up, trying to back away from them.

Alec walked to the bed.

She finally finds the air to scream.

She struggles.

Blows land on her body.

She goes still, seeing red stars.

Alec whistles.

Alec pushes her on her back face-up.

Skin _against_ hers.

She didn't realize that she was heaving in the washroom again until she felt the wood underneath her hands. She sat up straight, unsure how she got inside. She saw the washroom door wide open and the basin she had seen earlier was on the floor. Maybe she had run inside.

"Azalea?" Rapunzel knocked on the wall. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, one moment." Azalea had to fight to get to her feet. She no longer felt nauseous but felt her composure as it crumbled. She rinsed out her mouth, feeling her chest begin to heave. "Give me a minute. . ." She had to get some support from something. Anything to hold her upright. She sank back against a wall, trying to hold in sobs.

Rapunzel peeked in, her emerald eyes worried. She saw Azalea leaning against the wall with a flushed face as she tried not to cry and hurried to her. "Alec's the one, isn't he?"

Azalea blinked back tears. "What do you mean?"

"He's wasn't the father, was he?" Rapunzel's arms wrapped around her.

"God, I hope no."

"What do _you_ mean?"

"There were. . ."

"Who is _he_?" Rapunzel understood immediately, breaking away from Azalea's arms. Her eyes started sparking. "We can banish him too, Azalea."

"Rapunzel, please," Azalea had to wipe away tears, grateful tears, away. "Not today."

Rapunzel crossed her arms. "We can banish him too." She was so stubborn. So much like her.

"He's here, Punzie. He's doing better though. He's nicer, and he has a little girl to take care of." Azalea blinked when she realized that she was defending Matthew. "Don't make him go. He's. . . He's convinced that he was the father."

Rapunzel looked at Azalea closely, the anger being buried in her eyes. Azalea mentally cringed, knowing that the anger would come out again. "All right. For your Birthday." Rapunzel tried to put on a smile.

_Thank goodness she is nothing like Rosemary_, Azalea smiled, remembering her fierce friend. _She would have pestered me nonetheless. Birthday or not._

"Birthday speeches." Candace knocked on the door. Rapunzel squealed and grabbed Azalea's hand.

Everyone clapped when they came back, and Azalea was blushing. David ruffled her hair and the king smiled at her kindly.

"I'm first!" Liam grinned, looking at Sarah. "I'll be good."

Sage frowned his father's scowl. "Mother, does that mean he won't say anything funny?"

Michael burst out laughing. "See? He's got the right idea."

Sarah turned pink. "Hush, Sage. Just watch."

Liam walked to the center of the room when everyone sat down. Eugene shot Azalea a concerned glance from Rapunzel's side but looked down when Flynn managed to poke his chin. Nathan sat down next to Azalea.

"You all right?" He mouthed, and his sweet forest green eyes gazed at Azalea worriedly.

She nodded, and Nathan smiled warmly. She turned her attention to Liam.

"Azalea, you are the most. . ." Liam went quiet.

Azalea bit her lip, waiting.

"You are very talented. Enough said." Liam sat down next to Sarah.

Everyone looked at Azalea for her reaction. She started laughing. "What does that mean, Liam?"

"Well, whatever you make of it." Liam looked ill at ease, blue-gray eyes uneasy.

Sage went up next.

"You make me smile every time I see you." Sage hiccupped. Sarah and Candace _aw_ed and Sage's face flushed.

Alex went up.

"I'm so proud to have such a fighter."

Rapunzel.

"You know how to put on a brave face."

Eugene.

"You are so much like Rapunzel, it hurts." He winked at his wife. "And my wife is a very cute little thing with really pretty eyes, and damn, you both are good looking. As Liam put it, enough said."

Candace.

"You know how to listen to someone and make them feel better." The young woman said kindly.

Stephanie.

"You play the meanest pranks."

Nathan and Azalea started laughing.

David.

"I'll make that bread bun for you any time."

She threw an apple at him, which he caught.

Sarah.

"When you do finally make it, I wait to be the first one you tell."

Everyone chuckled when Nathan and Azalea flushed. Azalea put her head on the table, giggling.

Matthew flashed her a thumbs up from his seat and Azalea gave him a thumbs up. He didn't get up however.

Olivia.

"Why do you not like my dresses? I'm insulted." Olivia pretended to scowl at her.

"Liv, you make Nathan's heart beat too fast and I don't want to lose him."

Fernidia got up beside Olivia.

"I don't even want to start with you," Azalea said teasingly. The Goldfinch Sisters and the room started laughing.

Maya.

"I will serve the two of you anytime."

Nathan spoke. "Between you and David, I don't want to tempt Fate and ask for another night, so thanks, but no thanks."

"Well said." Eugene grinned.

Guy.

"I honestly thought the night went fine." Guy blinked. "You didn't enjoy yourselves?"

"No, but jumping on the bed was exciting." Nathan grinned, making the room laugh.

Diego.

"I hope you two do what you're told for now on."

Azalea counted something on her fingers. "So, I get to listen to you two times a week?"

"Four."

"Three."

"Deal." Diego sat down, smiling.

Michael.

"Who the hell taught you to drink so much?"

Regret and pain filled Azalea's heart but she answered lightly.

"Well, you pick up a thing or two learning to be a fighter."

Adam, Alex, and Anna started laughing.

Adam went up.

"So now Michael owes you an apple pie." He grinned. "I want to say thank you for beating him."

"You're welcome." Azalea smiled.

The king and queen went up.

"Alex, you should be proud." The queen smiled, her green eyes glowing. "Azalea, you are a gift to Corona."

Azalea felt touched. _Really?_ She had kidnapped their daughter, but to the king and queen, she had redeemed herself.

Anna-Beth.

"You better treat Nat with dignity and never let him ambush you again."

Azalea gaped in playful astonishment. "You knew?"

"Nothing fazes her." Maya called out.

Dwayne went up.

"I'm glad I'm your friend, Azal."

She smiled.

The Sion Brothers went up.

Will smiled as he spoke for them. "I will look forward to delivering you mail and getting free orange juice."

"Sure thing, Will. Free orange juice every day."

Jonathan smiled, pretending to look pained. "Thank you for caring about him."

"Aw, Jonas, you're welcome." Azalea grinned.

Nathan got up then, and everyone sat up straighter. Azalea looked around, blinking. Anna smiled at Nathan suddenly and he caught her eye. He looked at Azalea and his green eyes were dancing the pretty fire again.

"Right from the start, I was enchanted when I finally saw you as you. The day Diego nearly beat the hell out of us made me realize that I wanted nothing more than to protect you. And make sweet, passionate love to you, of course." Nathan grinned when laughter filled the room. "Azalea, you have been the start of my life. When you nearly died, the only thing that kept me from following suit was the possibility that you would wake up." Nathan smiled at her kindly.

His words to her on the frozen lake: "If you were to die, I'd. . . You know, follow suit."

"Oh, and one day we won't have to stop. I was only doing the test once." The smile grew bigger and she thought she heard him murmur when his eyes gleamed. "I won't be able to handle it if we do _that_ again."

"What test?" Fernidia whispered to Adam. Adam shrugged.

"Don't worry about it." Nathan said to them. He winked at Azalea and she had to suck in a tight breath through her nose.

Nathan gestured to Anna and she disappeared down the hall. Then she and Olivia came back holding a giant white cake with red icing. She was followed in by Dwayne holding Sebastian, and Liam and David, who gave Nathan a thumbs up. They placed the beautiful cake in front of her.

"Thank you," she looked at David and Candace, touched. David smiled.

Nathan walked from the center of the room to stand in front of her. A gasp from Azalea's right made her blink at Rapunzel. She waved Azalea to look back at Nathan but the excited look in Rapunzel's green eyes was not lost on Azalea.

"Doll, you are the most beautiful girl I've ever met. You and a few others, I might add." He smiled at Olivia and her older sister, then Rapunzel, Candace, Anna, and Sarah. He winked playfully at Maya.

Eugene wrapped his arm around Rapunzel's shoulder and growled playfully. "She's mine!"

Nathan laughed, as did Azalea and the entire room, and went on. "You are the best part of my life and I love spending all of my time with you. Anywhere you are, I promise to be right behind you."

Michael looked at Azalea and gestured for her to stand up. She shakily got to her feet, wondering what was going on.

Nathan's eyes sparked. "Everything about you draws me in and I hope that one day you _will_ never leave the bedroom." He winked at her and she could feel the heat rising in her face.

Nathan got on one knee, and the entire room- except Alex, Eugene, Liam, David, Dwayne, Rapunzel, Anna, and Alex- gasped but hers was the loudest. He stared at her with eyes that were beginning to burn.

"Azalea Salta Gothel Ruffins, you are the love of my life and I don't want to miss out on being with you. Life it too short and God's a bastard; I want to take your hand before He does."

Nathan took out a tiny black velvet box. He opened the lid and looked at her, watching her face. The ring was a giant tumble of diamonds made up of three circles outlining the gold of the diamond, and in the middle of the ring stood a big clear diamond outlined by the gold band. The outer ring had clear diamonds, the second inner ring had diamonds with the tiniest hint of light green and gray. The innermost circle was composed of dark green diamonds.

"Azalea," Nathan's voice made her look up at him. His green eyes were burning brighter than she had ever seen them.

She exhaled a breath. _Then he'll. . ._ "Oh," she breathed; she had to grab onto the table for support.

The room's tension melted a little bit and she saw Liam and Dwayne chuckling.

Nathan held her gaze.

"Azalea Salta Gothel Ruffins, I love you with all of my heart. Will you do me the honor of marrying me?"

Nathan's eyes were glowing with memories. Was he thinking back?

"Nathan, shush."

"Azalea, I'm fine-"

"No, Nathan. I need to do this. You're hurt and I-"

"I'm just telling you to take it easy."

"I don't want you to have to move around!"

"I'm fine, look at me!"

"Yes, look at you. My shining knight in bandages and covered in bruises!" Her voice shakes. "I shouldn't have let you run at him."

"He would have killed Eugene!"

"Nathan, I just want you to stay put-"

"Azalea, I'm fine! Doll, I'm okay, just take it easy-"

"Let me take care of you!"!" She sets the tray down, the air in her lungs rushing in and out in quick _whoosh_ sounds. She doesn't realized she is sobbing until Nathan's protests die away. Azalea sits down on the bed, her back facing him. "I. . .I don't want you to get hurt any more than you already are. . ." Nathan goes quieter, if possible.

She draws in a deep breath to go on. "Just stay put for me, okay?" Sheturns to him, tears in her eyes. "Please? Don't go anywhere."

"The walking Doll caught on paper."

"And then what?"

"We enjoy the third chance God has given us." Nathan pulls away, his green eyes smoldering.

"What is it?" She gazes at the sky.

She sees it then, and smiles.

A lantern with a green circle is tied to a lantern with a gray circle on it.

"It's us," Nathan breathes.

"Nathan!"

"Azalea!" His pretty green orbs light up at her distracted face.

"You got my hair wet!"

"Your pretty hair wanted to have water on it!"

She puts her soaked head in her hands. "You are impossible."

"False. The word says 'I'm possible'."

They all look up when she enters the room and Eugene and David quickly cover Nathan.

"Why the hell is this curtain on me?" Nathan mildly complains.

"I thought we weren't going to kill him." She mumbles.

"Wait until you see what he's wearing." Olivia smirks.

Nathan's tuxedo is amazing. It fits him in all the right ways, bringing out the planes of his chest and squeezing to his arms until the supple muscles displayed themselves. His dark hair is combed straight though his trademark curls curl by his cheeks. His green eyes are sparkling in their luminosity and smolder as they appraise each other in a way that they can only hope is polite.

"The bastards," Azalea mumbles around his lips, the ache beginning to burn.

"Yes," Nathan coos lazily, "I think they put it in David's bread."

"That was good," Azalea's hands strokes Nathan's silky smooth hair.

"It was," Nathan admits, and then his eyes turn hot. "Wait. . ."

"I don't know why you try and make me forget."

"Engagement!" Sage explodes, jumping away from his mother and father who look at him sharply. "Nathan, and Azalea, and engagement!"

"What?" Azalea puts her head in her hands. "Are you hinting at something?"

Sage looks up at her and points, "There she is! Nathan, Father said get a move on!" His blue-gray eyes are excited.

She looks at Nathan, her eyebrows arching. "Get a move on with what?"

Sage bubbles, "Engage-" Liam shoves a biscuit in his open mouth. Sage pulls it out and tries again. "Engage-" Liam grabs Sage's hand and pushes it in.

"Sage, don't you love the honey?" Liam asks his son.

Sage tries once more, "Nathan's going to engage-" Liam stuffs another biscuit in Sage's mouth.

"The honey is nice; I'm glad you like it so much."

Sarah begins to ruffle Sage's hair. "How are you, dear?" She glances at Azalea, who is beginning to blink with confusion, "You want more biscuits? All right, Liam keep feeding him."

"So you don't mind that I call you Azalea Keen?"

She kisses him. "Why would I mind? I like it, actually."

"So I don't have to tackle you anymore?"

"No, well, if you want to."

And then the future. What would it look like?

His green eyes seem luminous and bottomless. They sparkle when she bends down to kiss him.

When her lips make contact, everything blurs. She lies down on him and begins to kiss him fiercely. Her skin is burning as they start rolling over. Nathan ends up sitting up, with her on his lap. They bend in for a kiss, and then Azalea hugs herself against him. Her teeth graze his ear and she whispers,

"Dolls are meant to play with, Nathan Valor Keen."

Someone knocks on the door. Azalea looks and a tiny child opens the door. She stares up at them.

"Mother, I can't sleep."

She feels her pink face go even pinker and she sits up to grab the girl as she jumps to them. "What's wrong, baby?"

Azalea is dancing in the ballroom, by herself. Bright afternoon light floods the ballroom and warms her skin. She closed her eyes as she twirled and hands grabbed hers.

She opens her eyes to see Nathan's laughing green eyes. He smiles crookedly at her, his eyes beginning to smolder, and then she feels tiny hands grabbing at the edge of her gown. She glances down and sees four little faces, all identical to her face or Nathan's face.

She scoops up a child, looking back at Nathan. "We have four children?"

"Six." Nathan puts a hand on her belly.

She starts laughing. "Six children? What are their names?"

"Does it matter?" Nathan leans in for a gentle kiss.

"Six little babies to call our own."

She blinked hard.

Then she tried to speak, laughing in her head when she realized how dry her mouth was. But she tried anyways.

She managed to gasp, "Yes."

Nathan stood up straight, his face glowing in such triumph that she almost felt like she was staring at the sun smiling down at her. He grabbed her in his arms and swung her around in the air while the room exploded into applause.

"About time!" Liam grinned.

"Shut up, Kilter." Eugene nudged Liam. "Be happy for them."

"Oh, I am." Liam's eyes grew soft and he looked at Sarah.

Nathan kissed her cheek and then put her on the floor. David got on one knee with his head down, smiling, holding out the box to Nathan with the lid up. Nathan started laughing but took the ring from the offered box. They held gazes while he slid it on her right ring finger.

Anna was wiping away tears. "Yes! It's happened! My brother's engaged now." She sniffled. "I agree with Liam. It's about time." Dwayne laughed at Anna-Beth's words.

Nathan's eyes were still burning happiness. "I love you so much," he breathed in her ear. She smiled a watery smile, feeling bliss when Nathan laughed as he stroked the tears away.

"Happy tears?" he guessed. She nodded fiercely and he swung her around in the air again. Alex and Dwayne were passing around wine glasses.

"To Nathan and Azalea!" Eugene cried as they held their glass up.

Right before everyone toasted, Nathan spoke, his arm around her waist, his green eyes smoldering.

"And to happy lives, of course."

Everyone smiled. "Amen, Nathan." Dwayne smiled.

_Amen._


	109. Bucking

K*H*W* (go to my profile :)

* * *

><p><span>Chapter One Hundred and Nine<span> _Azalea's Point of View_

Someone shook her awake by her shoulders and the warm hands lingered.

"Doll, wake up."

"Hm?" Azalea pried her eyes open. "What did I miss?"

Nathan's voice was smiling. "We were about to open presents but I think you didn't make it. Liam caught you, so no worries."

"Oh." Azalea groggily smiled and realized that she was lying on something soft. "Oh. . ."

"Hangover or drunk?" Nathan sounded like he was slurring too. Strange. He had as much scotch as she did.

"Drunk, I think." Azalea tried to sit up. The curtains were drawn back and a fresh breeze cooled the room. "How about you?" She looked at him.

Nathan's hair was messy and his green eyes were bright. "I feel sober, not much, but I do." He was lying down on his side, watching her as she looked around.

"I love you," Azalea said suddenly and looked at him. His eyes lit up and his hand reached out for hers.

"I love you too." He smiled brightly. He sat up then and gazed around the room. "It's about dawn now. Want to take a walk? Clear our heads?"

She slid off the bed, wobbling. "Where will we go?"

"Where do you want to go?" Nathan asked. She looked at him and she realized that he was in his night clothes. She looked down and saw that she was still in the gown Rapunzel had chosen for her.

"Not sure yet. Hold on." She ducked into the washroom and straightened up. She washed the remnants of the eye powder off her eyelids. She changed into her new trademark gown: a sky blue gown with a matching bodice and light peach laces. It had white lacy short sleeves, which were made of an odd translucent material that made it where if you were to look at her shoulders, you could see the lines. She missed being able to wear sleeveless dresses, but she felt more comfortable in dresses that had sleeves. This gown was a nice compromise.

She felt the moonstone necklace over her heart and pulled it from under the dress so it was visible. She opened the door and bumped into Nathan.

"Sorry." She looked up at him, smiling when he smiled down at her. One of his hands went to her right hand and caressed the ring that was now hers.

"No problem." Nathan bent down to kiss the top of her head. "Looking good, Azalea."

"You're looking handsome as always." She felt her other hand grab his and smiled when he leaned against the door, gazing at her.

Nathan's green eyes glowed with mischief. "I try."

"Where to, my shining knight?" She found herself drawn to his eyes.

He had said: "Everything about you draws me in."

"Break feast." Nathan let go one of her hands and led the way out of the room. They walked to the Dining Hall, but stopped by the washroom. She got up on her tip-toes to give him a quick peck on the lips and then ducked inside.

"Got to go?" Nathan asked, standing by the door.

She opened it and grabbed his hand. She pulled him inside and they stood in the dark room.

" 'Sage is funny', hm?" Azalea quoted Nathan. She had connected the dots.

Nathan smiled, and she could see his smile only because of the dawn light that was slowly filling the room. "He does say the oddest things," he admitted.

"Nathan."  
>She gazed at him, raising both eyebrows.<p>

"All right. Yes, everyone knew about it." Nathan chuckled, trying to look sheepish.

Azalea kissed the hand that she was holding, smiling. They walked out of the room to the Dining Hall. Once inside, she saw that not everyone was awake. Eugene and Guy were sipping tea, looking at a piece of paper down on the table. Guy looked up when they approached.

"Morning," Guy smiled at them, his blond hair ruffled from sleep. He had left shortly before Azalea had passed out. "How was it?"

"I passed out so we still have things to finish." Azalea said as Nathan joined them. She got them both plates of tea and handed Nathan his.

"Rapunzel said it was a blast." Eugene smiled at Azalea. "Apparently you like to cut big pieces of cake and leave me out."

Azalea pouted. "I cut each piece for two people."

"And Rapunzel ate all of it." Nathan said to Guy, who was looking lost. "I always knew she had a sweet tooth."

"There's still some left though." Azalea said, and Eugene nodded.

"It looked good that's why I'm complaining." He looked back to the piece of paper.

Guy looked down at the paper too and their eyebrows were scrunched in concentration.

"What are you looking at?" Nathan asked as he took a sip of his tea.

"The kingdom." Eugene answered. He blinked. "I used to know Corona like the back of my hand. I settle down and forget where the waterfall is." He rolled his eyes at himself.

"That's right by the tower." Guy said. "And he wouldn't be by the tower. . ."

Nathan and Azalea didn't have to answer who _he_ was. Jacob. "We could scope out a few things. Explore."

Eugene smiled. "You don't mind?"

"Nope." Nathan made the _p_ pop. "We get to taste adventure."

Azalea got up when she finished her tea. "Let's go now. Get a head start."

Eugene and Guy waved them away. "Sure, go ahead."

In the square, Azalea found herself blushing when random civilians came up to give her late birthday wishes. Someone handed her a basket with a cloth over it and she accepted it, blushing further. They passed by her house and Nathan pulled her inside.

"You look like you needed help." Nathan said when she set the basket down.

Azalea smiled. "Thanks, Nat." Being approached by strangers who held gifts was always an odd experience. It reminded her of when she was healing from the slit in her throat and when civilians came to visit her.

"What's in the basket?" Nathan looked at it on the kitchen table. Azalea shrugged and lifted the fabric cloth off of it.

She grabbed at the inside of it and pulled out a tiny little purple dress. "They're expecting children so soon?" She started laughing. Nathan grinned and reached inside the basket as well. He pulled out a knitted scarf.

"I like the way they think." He said, looking at her and his green eyes began smoldering.

Azalea put the little purple gown back inside the basket and sat down at the table. Nathan sat down next to her and pecked her temple. "I have to show you your presents." Nathan smiled.

"They're not at the palace?" Azalea asked, looking at him. What could the presents possibly be?

Nathan got up, grabbing her hand. "I brought them here after I put you in our room."

She smiled when she was gently yanked to her feet. Nathan led her down the hall to her room. She frowned when the door was closed. But then Nathan spoke, his voice low because of excitement.

"Close your eyes."

She blinked her eyes shut, holding onto his hand tightly when he opened the door. Nathan guided her into the room and she was starting to tremble from anticipation.

"All right. You can open them." Nathan's warmth from his skin was suddenly gone. She blinked to see him standing by the wall. An object was covered up by a long purple curtain, and Nathan pulled the curtain away.

She gasped when she saw what the object was. A brightly-colored canvas lied on an elegantly crafted easel. She stepped closer to get a better look. She saw a couple lying on an expanse of grass with varying shades of green. Underneath the couple were orange daisies. One laid on the young woman's blond hair, who appeared to be asleep. The woman had a contented smile on her face and a man with ink black hair was lying on his side to look at her, smiling. One of his tan hands was reaching for the orange daisy on the woman's hair. The angle of the canvas allowed a view of the tiniest bit of the sky, orange with the sun setting, to be seen. Orange streaks shone in their hair and a breeze appeared to ruffle their clothing. Bright white fireflies were hovering about the couple; Azalea realized that it was her and Nathan.

She wakes up to something soft. "What?" She sits up, blinking when a floral smell reaches her nose. Nathan is lying next to her, his green eyes trained on her face.

"You're awake." He smiles, bright-eyed. "Good. He's done."

"Who?" She rubs her eyes, and is surprised to find herself lying on daisies. "What happened?"

"You and I ran from Liam and we rolled around on this lovely bed of daisies here and then somehow you fell asleep. Which was perfect; someone was supposed to paint us."

"We rolled around kissing." She blushes in the gloom.

"And then you fell asleep. Good to know that I have that effect on you." Nathan grins.

"Do you like it?" Nathan was suddenly right next to her as she gazed at the painting. She nodded and caught him in a hug. "Aw, what have I done to deserve such a thing?" Nathan cooed.

"For being you, Nat. It's beautiful, I love it." Azalea smiled. She saw a _CS_ on the very edge of the painting in gold and looked at him. "We've got to see him again."

"I agree completely." Nathan smiled. He covered the painting back up and looked around the room. "Are most of the rooms empty?"

"Mostly. They have closets and dressers. Why?"

"My answer will always be the same. Babies." Nathan grinned and grabbed her hand. He tugged her to the back room and looked around. Empty. He checked all the other rooms, and then looked down at her. "Anything to explore?"

Azalea thought of something. "Let's go to the back." She tugged him outside of the house to the very back of the house. She saw a curtain of moss blocking the way to the clearing that she and Nathan had been before and pulled some moss away. They both walked in and smiled. Herbs and leafy greens lie everywhere in organized little spots of the large clearing. Azalea wandered to a spot of basil and sniffed.

"Your friend Rosemary had this house before us, right?"

"Yes. This is her garden."

Nathan smiled, his green eyes blending in nicely with the bright wildflowers he was next to. "It's a beautiful place."

Azalea nodded. "I hope she comes back someday."

"What makes you think she wouldn't?"

"It's hard wherever she is." Azalea fought to remember the name. Something with 'thief'. "It doesn't sound like she can leave."

_Rosemary's Point of View_

Rosemary blinked when she saw the guards walk down the paved ground. A dark haired Caroline looked at them, her blue eyes with green patches filled with fear. They had been walking to Riley's shop, just to reminisce. It had been mostly Caroline's idea. She had said that Riley had been charming when she had first seen Rosemary and Riley talking in his shop, and she wished for another kind face.

"What are you two doing here?" The guards had spotted them. Rosemary heard Caroline gulping next to her and bit her lip. The guards walked up to them, their navy blue uniforms shimmering in the bright afternoon light. The busy activity of Ladron began to slow and then it was very quiet except for the birds chirping. Everyone went quiet when they saw people being caught red-handed during a crime.

Rosemary squared her shoulders and arched her chin, hearing surprised hisses from the civilians around her. "Why was the florist's shop closed?"

The guard blinked. "I beg your pardon."

Caroline spoke, the fear being tossed aside in her eyes until nonchalance shone in her eyes. "Why was the florist's shop closed?" She repeated Rosemary's question.

A different guard said, "He violated the rules of Ladron."

Rosemary blinked in false confusion. "Meaning?"

"Come with us." The leader of the guards snapped. A civilian gasped in shock and sorrow abruptly thickened the air. Rosemary couldn't blame them. Usually when civilians were instructed to follow guards, the civilians never came back.

"They're too young to die," a woman whispered.

Caroline's head snapped around and Rosemary grabbed her arm to steady her, seeing Caroline's lips begin to tremble. She looked at the leader of the guards and nodded. "All right then." She made her voice sound cheerful. "Carla, just go home, all right?"

Caroline blinked at Rosemary when the guard spoke. "No, both of you."

Rosemary fought to keep a grip on Caroline. Caroline looked panicked but nodded. "Marlene, I'm sure that they know we mean no trouble. It'll be fine."

Rosemary ignored the urge to shake her head. She might have been the last person Riley had seen, and the only person he had told about who was after him. Did Riley's father even know where he was?

One of the guards looked at the quiet square and snapped. "Back to your duties! Nothing to see here!"

Everyone jumped and did what they were told, though Rosemary felt some lingering glances on them. Rosemary and Caroline shakily followed the guards to the palace. Once inside, they looked around nervously when the guards stopped.

"Have you seen Caroline Fennel?" The leader of the guards snapped. Caroline shook her head, and Rosemary did the same.

"No, sir, we haven't." Caroline squeaked.

Rosemary's hands trembled when the guards looked closely at them. "Where do you work?"

"At the tavern." At the only tavern in Ladron. Luna hadn't recognized Rosemary at first, until Rosemary had told her about Caroline being picked by the Prince.

"And you?" The guard looked at Caroline, who looked a little disoriented in the eyes. Caroline was about to faint.

"I care for our mother."

"So you're related?"

Oops. "Yes, sir." Rosemary answered.

The guard blinked. "The Fennels' mother isn't very well, are you aware of that?"

They nodded somberly. They knew about their Mothers' health. They weren't ready to lose her just yet.

"If you see Caroline, tell her that the prince is to wed her in two weeks."

Rosemary looked at Caroline sharply, managing to nod at the guard. He let them go and she felt uneasy. Did he know something?

They made it to Owen's and Caroline was hyperventilating.

"Rosemary, what are we going to do?" She cried when she sank onto the floor. Rosemary was pacing, distressed. Rosemary quickly realized that the guards had never answered her question. What did that mean? Riley was. . . Dead? Her body filled with horror at the thought.

Sweet, gentle Riley.

Riley sits down after she lights a candle. She puts it on the dresser and is relived to be able to see his face. "Rosemary," he says quietly.

"What is it?" She asks softly, peering out of the curtains.

Riley's voice is smiling. "We're lovers?"

_Do you want to be?_ She answers her own question. "Um," she wants to say 'yes'.

Riley gets up. "I wouldn't mind that at all." He looks at the flowers that she had put on the bed.

"I'd give you a phlox and an orange rose, but we're not at your shop." Rosemary feels all the air leave her lungs when she turns to him, his hand still rubbing her hair.

"I agree that you are my secret love?"

"How come you guess mine all right?" Rosemary whines, half playful, half serious.

Riley's hand goes to her cheek. "I was born a florist, Rosemary."

"So I see. You know how to treat this flower very well."

"I'm so tangled up in my love for flowers that I don't know reality when it hits me."

"You're tangled for a flower? Tangled for. . . Me?"

He couldn't be gone.

Owen watched the two of them, worried. "What happened?"

Caroline told him what had happened that morning and Rosemary looked around. "Is your father at work?"

"Yes," Owen looked at her. "Mother's upstairs asleep. She hates it here, if you recall."

"Sounds like someone I know," Caroline looked at Rosemary pointedly.

"Women talk too much," a deep voice made them shake with fear. Rosemary looked up at the top of the stairs to see a shadow of a man.

"Sir?" Caroline slowly got off the floor, caution in her eyes. Break-ins were common in Ladron, and sometimes if a person were to protest, they would be maimed or killed. Rosemary and Owen stiffened with caution.

"Did you know that this woman up here is against Ladron completely?"

Rosemary went very still. "Sir?"

"Alistair to you, wrench." The man slowly walked down the stairs. "People against Ladron are executed immediately."

Owen blinked. "What does this have to do with her?"

"She was against Ladron, didn't you hear me?" The man walked right in front of them and they both took a step back. "You really shouldn't leave anyone home alone in Ladron." He sneered. "It's dangerous."

The man quickly left the house, and Rosemary felt ill. She staggered up the stairs and into their mother's room, Caroline and Owen on her heels.

Owen's mother was sitting up, a blank expression on her face. Rosemary looked at the scattered sheets and the nail scratches on the nightstand numbly. _Signs of convulsions,_ Rosemary realized. Owen went to her mother's side and shook her.

"Mrs. Smits?" Caroline sounded very small.

Rosemary spotted a stain on the sheets and looked at the broken tea cup on the floor. A pungent smell filled the air.

"So, Mr. Welks, you don't sell poisonous plants do you?"

Riley's bright blue eyes smile. "Why, you want to kill someone?"

"Of course not."

"I only sell herbs that are remedies to things. But if you eat anything too much, you get sick. Daisies, for one thing."

"Daisies are poisonous?"

"If you eat them."

"But daisies mean 'innocence'."

"Right."

"You're telling me you sell dangerous flowers?" Rosemary widens her eyes.

Riley grins. "Anything can be helpful, or harmful, with the right intention."

"He poisoned her," the words were out of her mouth before she could blink.

"What?" Caroline exclaimed through her tears.

"You smell that?" Rosemary sounded cold and she fought to make her voice warmer.

Caroline sniffed the air through her tears. "What is that?"

The smell wasn't from daisies, but from an herb Azalea had been all too familiar with.

"Passionflower."

"Why would he kill her?" Owen choked.

Rosemary could only assume what the guards would say to validate this.

"Treason."

_Azalea's Point of View_

She looked at Nathan's face while he slept. They had just finished lunch, and now they were napping. Azalea found it hard to fall asleep, and she decided to gently trace Nathan's strong jawline with her eyes. He was dozing, already asleep, and she found it funny that he had fallen asleep on her this time.

She eased herself off the bed and wandered to her closet. She looked back at Nathan, blinking. She stepped into the closet and looked around. She found Rosemary's basket of baby clothes and walked into the kitchen, holding it. She began to sort the clothes and folded them up, listening to the quiet. Eventually she started humming, relaxing in the chair. She leaned back against it, almost tempted to close her eyes.

Something crashed on the wall beside the house.

**Nathan's Point of View**

He was roused from sleep when he heard a thud against the wall behind him. He groggily opened his eyes, sinking back into sleep.

In the next second, a shriek filled the air.

Nathan sat up quickly, his body filled with adrenaline. He leaped off of the bed, looking around. Azalea wasn't in the room.

He quickly hurried into the kitchen to see Azalea holding her hand to her mouth looking like she had seen a ghost.

"What happened?" His voice came out hoarse. He stood right in front of her and looked her up and down, looking for scratches or gashes. She looked at him, swallowing quickly, and he put his hands on both of her shoulders. "Are you hurt?" She looked at him and took a deep breath. "Doll, are you okay?"

Azalea moved her hand away and tried to speak. "I'm all right."

"What happened?"

Azalea was trying to get over her shock. "I-I don't know. Something hit the house."

Nathan blinked, the adrenaline making him look around with narrowed green eyes. "I'll check it out."

He made his way to the door, but Azalea caught his arm. "Wait, don't."

"Doll-"

"We don't know what did it." Azalea said quickly, her greenish gray eyes still wide. "Let me go with you."

Nathan stiffened. "I don't want you to get hurt."

"I don't want you to go alone."

"Doll."

"Nat."

He looked down in thought and then back at her. "Promise me that you'll run if things go bad?"

Azalea looked determined to go with him, so he had to reach a compromise. She opened her mouth to speak but a heavy object hit the back of the house. Azalea swallowed nervously when the house seemed to jolt at the impact.

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"I promise." Azalea looked at him fondly.

Nathan gripped her hand tightly and opened the door. They walked to the back of the house on light feet, the air beginning to cool as clouds began to cover out the sun. Nathan peered around the corner of the house, and bit back a startled curse.

"What is it?" Azalea whispered.

Maximus was swaying on his feet, bleeding from his flank and his back hind legs. Pascal was sitting between his ears, looking around panicked. He spotted them and quickly turned a shimmering blue in relief. Maximus's head jolted around as he gazed around wildly. Nathan sucked in a tight breath when Maximus caught his eyes. He could tell from how wide Maximus's light brown eyes were that something had frightened him. He looked at the gashes. And injured him.

"What is it, Nathan?" Azalea insisted.

"Don't follow me," Nathan couldn't recognize his voice. "Go get Rapunzel."

"Why? What's going on?" Azalea asked.

Nathan didn't answer, and he heard Azalea's faint sigh as she turned around. He glanced back to see her walk to the square on the way to the palace.

Nathan turned back to Maximus. "Max, it's me."

Maximus huffed in confusion and staggered a few yards closer to Nathan. Nathan took a few slow steps to Maximus and held his palms up. "It's me, Nathan."

Pascal gently tapped Maximus's ears and Maximus bucked, neighing. Pascal and Nathan froze in shock. Maximus bucked. Maximus never bucked. _Hell, horses never buck unless a threat is nearby,_ Nathan thought to what Michael had told him.

Nathan quickly realized that Maximus must had been the one hitting the house. He might have been kicking it. But why?

Nathan observed Maximus's bloody flank and hind legs. He took a few more careful steps to Maximus and stroked his nose soothingly.

"Who did this to you?" He whispered.

Pascal blinked at Nathan's words and looked down, unable to answer.


	110. Rocks Falling

K*H*W* (go to my profile :)

* * *

><p><span>Chapter One Hundred and Ten<span>

We had developed a schedule.

I was to wake up every two hours and nurse Flynn and Anora. I'd burp them right before I laid them back to sleep. Eugene would woke every other two hours, put them on my chest so they could nurse. He'd dose until they were done, burped them, and then laid them down to sleep.

We had finally gotten the hang of it and were in the Dining Hall, drowsily sipping tea. Flynn hiccupped in my arms and I kissed his cheek, energy flowing through me. No matter how many hours of sleep I'd lose, it would be worth it just to be able to hold them. To kiss their cheeks and tickle them. Eugene adored tossing Anora and Flynn in the air, and I marveled at how sturdy he was when they fell into his arms. He didn't sway or anything. He was strong and I loved him for it.

Candace and David were at their home since Candace was only two weeks away from delivering. Fernidia was setting up Olivia's looming wedding with my mother and father, and Diego and Stephanie were off in the library. I pondered their relationship for a moment. Diego, or William really, was the Goldfinch Sisters' father, and they didn't know. Stephanie had been adamant to Diego at first, when he tried to talk to her around the time the ball had started. Now it seemed like she was letting him back in her life with open arms. When would she tell her children that their father was here the whole time, like Alex had been with Azalea?

I shook my head and sipped my tea, enjoying the moderate silence in the Dining Hall. I had never known that silence could be wonderful. I used to associate silence with peace, because back in my tower, that was all I really had. Peace, and an urge to see the floating lights. Now silence pretty much meant the same thing, but now it seemed like I was blind to it before. Silence felt so much better now-

"Rapunzel!" Azalea burst into the Dining Hall. Eugene dropped his spoon and looked at her. I gazed at her in confusion. She was flushed pink and her chest was heaving. "Rapunzel," she was still talking, "come here."

"Slow down," Eugene stood up. He abandoned his tea and I walked to Azalea. "Slow down. What's happened?"

Azalea shrugged, "Nathan told me to come and get you. Something crashed on the side of the house and he wouldn't let me see what it was-"

Guy stalked into the room, his hands balled up into fists. He spotted us in the middle of the room. I blinked when I saw that his green eyes were angry. He hastily raked a hand through his tousled blond hair and grimaced. "Azalea's got you? Come on, Nathan moved him to the stables."

"Who?" I asked. Guy didn't answer and just motioned for us to hurry.

Out in front of the stables, I couldn't understand what was going on. I could hear frenzied neighing and there was a crowd surrounding something. The crowd was a mixture of civilians and guards. I tried to squeeze my way through, leaving Guy, Anora, Eugene, and Flynn at the back. Azalea was right behind me when I made it to the front.

Nathan was standing right in front of a pearly white horse and was stroking his nose, saying words of comfort that weren't working. The horse bucked and everyone shied away except for Nathan. I stepped around Nathan-

I covered my mouth to hold back my scream. Maximus was bleeding from his flank and his back hind legs. His light brown eyes were wide and wildly staring around like he was searching for something. Maximus stopped neighing and stood still with his head down. It tore my heart to see such a stubborn house looking so submissive.

"Maximus?" I breathed. Nathan looked up at my voice and then looked around. Azalea was biting back tears and she wandered to Nathan's other side, her hands shaking.

Maximus's white head jerked up and he gazed at me, his eyes unfocused. Why was he so scared? I looked into his eyes. Why was he _still _scared?

Nathan started speaking, glancing around when the guards began to coax the civilians away. "He's bleeding from knife wounds."

Azalea choked. "What makes you say that?"

Nathan looked pained to answer. He gently touched the end of one of Maximus's gashes on his flank. "It's a clean slit."

Guy and Eugene made it to us. Eugene's eyes zoomed in on the injuries on Maximus and he started to sway, his hazelish eyes darkening. A guard stepped up behind my husband and put his hand on Eugene's shoulder.

"Who the hell did this to him?" Guy exclaimed in horror.

Nathan shrugged. "I don't know."

"You said something crashed on the house?" Eugene looked at Azalea, who started nodding.

"I think it was Maximus. I think he was trying to kick the wall down." Azalea answered, her voice quavering.

"Why?" Eugene blinked.

"He was scared," Azalea looked at Maximus's eyes. "He's still scared."

Nathan nodded. "Everyone standing around him wasn't helping either."

Guy rocked a sleeping Anora in his arms, gazing at Maximus with worry. "What do we do?"

"We heal him, and then we try to find out who did this to him." Nathan looked around for approval and Eugene nodded his. Nathan went on, "Where was he supposed to be going this morning?"

Guy looked down. "Damn it."

"What?" Eugene looked at Guy.

"I think this was my fault."

"What makes you say that?" Eugene gasped.

Guy looked at me in dismay. "I heard you yesterday saying that he and Pascal checked on the tower and that they hadn't done it in a little bit. So I asked them to go check this morning, just so you wouldn't have something else to worry about. . . And then this happens."

Nathan blinked. "It can't be your fault, Guy. No one knew this would happen."

"I told them to go-"

"But you didn't know this would happen." Eugene said firmly.

"Where's Pascal?" Azalea suddenly asked. Maximus looked around, looking somewhat calmer. He staggered away from Nathan's hand that was still on his nose, neighing. He tried to walk straighter and then he flinched, backing up.

"Easy, Max." Nathan put his hand on Maximus's back. "Don't try to walk."

Maximus shook his head and then bucked. He reared up and slammed his hooves on the ground. Eugene pushed me and Azalea behind him, backing up. Maximus neighed and bucked again, kicking at air.

"What did this to him?" Guy asked out loud, grabbing Nathan's shirt and tugging him to where Eugene was standing.

Nathan looked exasperated. "I don't know, Guy. If I could talk to him, I would."

I looked back at Azalea, and she blinked. "Maybe I can."

"What? You speak horse?" Guy looked at her sharply.

She shook her head and walked up to the shaking Maximus. Nathan grabbed at her arm and tried to pull her back. "No, Azalea. Don't."

"I'll be fine." Azalea gently pulled away. She looked at me. "Another test, right, Rapunzel?"

"Just be safe." I gazed at her; Maximus was still edgy. She sighed, and then nodded.

Maximus went still, gazing at Azalea. I heard her begin to mumble words as she put her hand on Maximus' nose. Silver strands began to streak down her hair, and then I felt my vision darken. I fought to stand up straight, and then everything was gone, as a new vision took place.

Maximus trotted down paved ground, sniffing the air. He paused by a vendor selling apples, and absently gazed at the ground. He saw the vendor look up at a customer and he dove his head down to grab one.

He clutched the apple by the stem, and began to gallop past the Square. Once on the edge of the bridge, he paused when he felt something tickle the front of his nose. He saw big brown eyes gaze at him and Pascal _tsk_ed at him. Maximus rolled his eyes and galloped to the cave that he had chased Eugene.

He sank down onto the warm grass and chewed on the apple in thought. He was puzzled. Would the tower be dusty smelling or would it slowly become a part of nature? Would it slowly become fragrant with the vegetation around it, and eventually –centuries later- become part of nature?

He huffed, getting to his feet.

He trotted to the tower and stood right in front of it. He heard rocks crumble nearby and almost trotted to the sound. In a place of such quiet, the sound of rocks falling against other rocks didn't make sense. He stood there for a moment more, seeing that the tower was fine. He yawned sleepily. The run had tired him out and eating such a nice apple didn't help-

Something dug into his hind leg. He bucked immediately, neighing when he heard the hiss of a snake. He bucked again, feeling something else dig into his other leg. He whirled around, confused and afraid. He peered down at his hind legs, alarmed by the blood that began to flow. Just then, there was a fire traveling across his flank and the hiss of the snake made him buck harder. What was attacking him?

Pascal tapped the front of his head and Maximus bucked, now thoroughly scared. He couldn't see what was causing him so pain. Standing up on all four legs made more pain shoot through him. He shook his head, trying to clear it of nightmarish thoughts. He heard the hiss of the snake right in his ear and all his senses left him.

He took off, galloping as fast as he could, back to the palace, still hearing the hiss.

"Maximus!" Someone shouted. Abruptly, my vision, my real vision, came back. I was still standing up, swaying on my feet. I could almost feel the pain in my legs and side. Azalea threw herself away from Maximus, breathing heavy. My legs felt cramped and sore, and I could hear my own labored breathing.

Azalea gasped. "Someone stabbed him."

"Who was it?" Guy asked. Azalea looked flustered as she tried to speak, blond running down her hair.

"I-I couldn't see. He couldn't see." Azalea stuttered. She was shaken, and I was sure she could feel Maximus' pain like I did. It was staggering.

"Someone did it though." I took deep breaths. How was Maximus standing up?

"Where were you?" Nathan was by Azalea's side suddenly, wiping away the tears on her face. I felt wetness on my eyes and felt fingers as well. Eugene was rubbing the tears away with his thumb and pecked my temple soothingly.

"By the tower." Azalea said. "We were right by the tower, and then Maximus heard rocks falling." I went cold. "He forgot about it for a second, and then there was a pain in his leg." She was trying not to sob. "Someone, whoever it was, was coming out of the tower and they hurt him."

We looked to Maximus who was lying down. A few guards were tending to him and I saw Adam and his younger brother Michael among them.

"Rocks falling. . ." I could hardly breathe all of a sudden.

"Rapunzel, are you all right?" Eugene asked me, his voice sounding far away.

"Rocks _falling_. . ." I felt my ears begin to buzz. Without my hair, no one could get into the tower without knowing the secret way inside. Someone must have found it because I was no longer in my tower. Who was in my tower, and why would they hurt Maximus? He had been checking to see if anyone was inside, and now that he was hurt by someone who did it on purpose-

Eugene had helped me into the entrance. I would have gotten inside by myself but I had been heavily withchild with Anora and Flynn.

When I made it in, however, something inside me went cold. I could tell that some things had been moved and shifted around. A heavy scent filled the air, and though the scent was familiar, I couldn't recall what it was. I had felt watched.

I hadn't been alone in the tower.

Someone else had been in the tower with me.

I felt my body tip forward.

**Michael's Point of View**

"Damn, look at that!" Adam pointed to one of Maximus's hooves. Rapunzel was being carried back into the palace by Eugene. Michael leaned in to look, cringing. One of Maximus's hooves had come out and the nail was digging into the soft part of Maximus's legs.

"He ran so hard it came loose." Michael blinked. He looked at all of the other hooves as the guards put a cloth over the horse's face. It was composed of passionflower, which was good for pain. "We'll need to tighten the shoes."

A guard looked at them. "Not anytime soon though, I'm afraid. We'll have to wait for that leg to heal up."

Adam went somber. "He might never want to walk again."

"Or he'll kick every stranger he sees." The guard said, his onyx eyes serious.

Adam looked sorrowful and Michael said, "He'll just need a good night's sleep."

Adam nudged Michael. "Like someone else I know."

"Mr. Dawson, I beg of you to suppress voicing your opinions."

Adam smirked and the guard started laughing.

It was true though. Michael wasn't sleeping much lately, for fear of being in the cage again. Jacob was gone, still blissfully gone, but Michael didn't want to take any chances. He didn't want to be vulnerable, asleep, and wake up trying to kill Eugene again. He wasn't having it.

He did sleep some though.

Passionflower and valerian helped.


	111. Herbs to Burn

Chapter One Hundred and Eleven Jacob's Point of View

"Damn, he got away." Jacob hissed. He rinsed the knife away in the water, his mind far away. He had just lost another way to clean his slate a little. Now the chance to get even with Rapunzel was gone. He wouldn't ever harm her children, so now, his slate –with her, at least- _was_ clean.

Now, though he still had scores to settle, he had to admit that he wasn't feeling too good about himself. His hindsight felt clear, and he was frowning with disapproval at his behavior. He had just tried to maim a well-loved horse who, once upon a time, had nothing to do with Rapunzel. He scowled. The things people do to get even with someone. He groaned when he made it back in the tower, his mind sending him painful images of all his bad decisions.

He was such a monster.

And on other days, he loved it. Today, he loathed himself.

He absently sat down on the bed, counting scores off on his hand. He had tried to get back at Dwayne by poisoning Anna-Beth, and that hadn't worked. The woman was still around, according to Diego. He had tried to get back at Michael by also poisoning Fernidia, and that had failed. Partly because of her sister Olivia. Sending the tea to them in Diego's name wasn't his finest moment, and frankly now Jacob knew that he hadn't had too many fine moments. He sighed.

He hadn't tried anything with Alex yet, and now he no longer felt the need to. He didn't even want to tamper with Guy anymore and he wanted to leave Adam and Eugene alone. The only problem with leaving Eugene alone was the fact that Jacob still had some control over Michael. So if Michael went after Eugene now, it wasn't Jacob's fault. Luckily for the civilians of Corona, Jacob still felt guilty.

He had tried to kill Azalea and was no longer determined to give it another go. He wanted to leave them alone. He wanted to disappear.

He raked his hands through his hair aggressively, feeling more and more miserable.

Azalea had never ruined his chances to be a knight. Jacob had, by choosing such a wicked method to even be considered to be one. That dream was gone now, and Jacob had to accept it. But what about Azalea? He had told Diego to lure Azalea to her home, so Jacob could ambush her, but now he decided against it.

_Azalea_. She used to have such a sparkle in her eyes when she opened the door to see him. Her hands were so soft when they used to stroke his face. Her skin was soft under his own hands, and her lips were always so rosy pink. It made him ache just to think about her.

Azalea, though it was strange, still seemed so charming to him. He couldn't get her out of his head. First he had wanted to kill her, but now he wanted to. . . Make love to her.

It was all so wrong.

A knock sounded on the tower wall and Jacob heard Diego make his way in. Diego walked in, dust on his dark hair, and looked at Jacob.

Jacob said in a monotone, "Hello, William."

"Hello yourself." Diego sounded angry, and Jacob could understand why. "You know, as the days go on, I slowly become more and more of myself. Right now, I want to beat the hell out of you. Poisoning Fernidia _and_ Anna-Beth was not part of the plan. Hell, I don't even remember the plan anymore. I'm just here to help you with your issues."

"I know, William. I apologize." Jacob looked up at Diego, meeting his hot dark blue eyes. "I haven't been sleeping well lately, and I can't seem to think straight."

Diego huffed in annoyance. "Leave my daughters alone."

"I will, William. It won't happen again."

"It better not." Diego sat down on the bed next to Jacob. "Just so you know, you might want to leave the tower."

"Why would I ever do so?"

"I'm sure that some guards will be arriving soon. You might not want to be here when they come."

Jacob sighed, scratching his head in thought. "What should I do, William?"

"Honestly?"

"Honestly."

"Turn yourself in. I'd say apologize, but not many would listen to you." Diego said, faint hope in his voice. Jacob sighed again, having no real intention to do that.

"Any other ideas?"

"Lay low, I suppose." Diego's eyes were cloudy. "Damn you, Jacob. Because of your brilliant hypnotism, I can't turn you in myself. I feel the worst sort of loyalty to you and I feel sick as a dog being in the same room as you. You are a _terrible_ person."

"It keeps me up at night."

"Ha-ha. Shut the hell up and do the right thing for once."

Jacob sniffed. "You make it sound so easy."

"It is!" Diego exclaimed.

"Not for me."

"Lay low then."

Jacob had a random idea. "I need you to do something for me."

"And what is that?" Curiosity entered Diego's voice.

"I need you to ask Matthew to burn passionflower and valerian"

"What are you planning this time?"

"Just ask him to burn it for me, and you'll be all set."

"So I don't have to lure Azalea to her home anymore?"

"At the moment, the answer is no."

Jacob shook his head, watching Diego when he stood up. He gazed at Jacob, and the clouds abruptly vanished. His dark blue eyes filled with disgust, and Jacob waved him away.

"Bye, William."

"Bye, Jacob." The clouds came back.

_Rapunzel's Point of View_

Why weren't they listening to me?

"I think Jacob did it."

Eugene shook his head. "He wouldn't harm a horse."

"And once upon a time, he wouldn't harm a fly." Dwayne jumped to my defense. "I hate to say it, Eugene but this seems like my brother."

"How would he know that Maximus was coming?" Eugene questioned.

Dwayne threw his hands up. "He wouldn't have to. He just had time to know someone was nearby, and he took his chance to strike."

"It doesn't make sense."

"Then why don't we have someone go and check the tower out?"

"It's too dangerous."

"Oh, so when Jacob was on the loose before, it was perfectly safe to walk around in town?"

Eugene opened his mouth to reply, his light brown eyes going sharp. I stopped them. "Calm down, all right?"

My father looked at me and nodded once. I blinked, almost irritated. What did that have to do with anything? "Eugene, we'll check the tower out in two weeks." My father said.

Dwayne shook his head. "No, your Highness, we can't. It's either now or never."

"Never." Eugene said stubbornly. "I refuse to think that Jacob knows where the tower is."

"He gets around. His house is right by the waterfall. Who says he wouldn't find it?" Dwayne snapped.

Eugene rubbed his temples. "Fine. Now then."

My father turned to Diego. "Send them off."

I sighed quietly in relief and left the room, eyeing the hallways. Good. Fernidia wasn't-

"Suck it in." Someone touched my shoulder. I covered my mouth and jumped. I turned to her.

"Fernidia!"

She looked repentant. "Sorry."

"And suck what in?"

She sucked in a tight breath and I saw what she meant. "Come on. Once you get this part done, we can move onto your hair."

"There is nothing wrong with my hair!" I defended myself. Between her and Stephanie and Mother, I wasn't getting a break.

Fernidia glared at me. "Suck it in."

"Fine." I drew in a tight breath and stood up straighter. This hurt. "Happy now?"

She eyed me. "Maybe we need to do more sit ups."

"You are so mean!" I wailed.

"It's for the best of Corona."

_But what about me?_ I held the question in tightly. Suck it in, huh? More like 'suck it up'. The 'Princess Lessons', as Mother called them, were on full throttle now. Father asking me to read the Corona Civilian Document was just the beginning.

They were basically telling me how to be a princess.

"When will they be over?" I looked at Fernidia. She gave me a sympathetic glance.

"Soon."

"We just started."

"The more you understand, the faster it will go by."

"So you're basically telling me to 'grin and bear it'?"

"Pretty much."

_Great_.


	112. If Help Was Ever Needed

Chapter One Hundred and Twelve _Azalea's Point of View_

She runs straight to her door, panic making a lump settle in her throat. She is almost there. Her hand touches the doorknob and she bunches her muscles to fling herself through the threshold once she yanks the door open. Silver glints in her peripheral vision. A tiny thud sounds right behind her and her sleeve is caught to the wall, held there by a knife.

She turns slowly, her heart pounding. A figure, barely noticeable in the morning light, stalks toward her. "Hi there, Azalea."

She flinches at the familiar voice. It is warm, unlike the last time she has heard it.

"This is the proper sentencing, Minister Peter." He had snarled and the knife had cut her.

When Jacob's face is merely inches from hers, she is pushing her body against the wall, trying to make herself disappear. Jacob smiles, his hand going to her cheek.

"Is it bad to say that I've missed you?" He asks gently, and she cringes from the happy memories his tone brought. The bitter memories are buried back in her mind and they don't stain the pleasant ones that surface. Jacob's fingers gently stroke her skin, and for a moment, she is lost. Very lost.

Jacob's lips go to hers and she was jolted awake in shock to feel real lips on hers. She roared up, her hands going to the person's shoulders. She barreled them over and pushed them into the bed, sitting on their lap.

She blinked her eyes open, her chest heaving. Bright green eyes gazed at her in confusion and amusement, and she sighed in relief. She fell against his chest, trying to slow her heart that was still pounding.

Nathan's voice was amused. "You are the _strangest_ sleeper!"

She laughed breathlessly. "Oh, really?"

Nathan nodded, his hands going to her back. "Yes, really. I knocked over a basin by the window sill," he fixed her with a half-amused look. "I nearly yelled to wake up all of Corona and you slept through that. So then I think 'Oh, a little kiss wouldn't wake her up'. Never mind the fact that you just tackled me."

She sat up, not bothering to correct her nightgown straps. She gazed at him, almost wanting to pout. "You scared me."

Nathan's eyebrows raised. "How could I have scared you when you were asleep?"

She rolled her eyes and pecked his lips. "How are you?"

"So I can say that I like this position?"

She flicked his temple. "Nathan Keen-"

"Yes, Azalea Keen?"

That stopped her cold. She abruptly lost all of her brief irritation and just gazed at him, feeling very warm.

Nathan sensed the change in her, and smiled, his black curls glossy and green eyes sweet. "Yes, Azalea Keen?" She smiled. Just the way he said it. . .

"You've been talking with Liam, haven't you?"

Nathan looked sheepish. "He doesn't be quiet about certain things."

She smirked and got off of him, grinning when he flashed her an adorable pout. She hurried to the washroom to change, and then came out into the bedroom, her hands going to her hair. She looked around the room, surprised to see Nathan gone.

She shrugged and walked to the washroom down the hall, still unsure about her hair. She had no idea what to do with it. Should she braid it-

She opened the door and screamed when a hand reached out for her. It grabbed her by the arm, yanking her in. Lips crashed to hers, and then she was struggling to see straight.

"Nathan Keen!" Azalea screeched, pulling away.

"Yes, Azalea Keen?"

Just the way he _said_ it. . .

"Can you kiss me again? I actually liked it."

Nathan started laughing.

When they finally made it to the Dining Hall, Azalea's hair was tousled. She paused right before she entered and looked at Nathan worriedly.

"What?" Nathan grinned, his light blue sleeves rolled up. He looked down and buttoned his vest. "We're good now?"

She smiled. "No, silly. What am I going to do with my hair?"

Nathan appraised her head. "Want some water?" He grinned mischievously.

She shook her head. "We are not doing that again."

Nathan smiled and ran his hand down her hair. He paused in thought. "I actually like it like this."

She sighed. "All right then."

They walked inside, took their seats, and Guy looked at the two of them. Azalea stopped sipping her tea, suddenly aware that everyone was looking at them.

"What?" Sage gazed around. "What's everyone looking at?"

Guy threw his hands up in exasperation. "Can't you guys wait?"

Fernidia looked at Guy. "You didn't."

"I was very drunk. Those two are sober as ever." Guy crossed his arms.

"Wait for what?" Azalea blinked.

Liam gave her a look and Azalea turned red.

"That settles it. You're as red as an apple." Liam bit into his toast, looking pleased at her blush.

"Shut up, Kilter." Eugene grinned, amusement in his light brown eyes.

"We did wait. Nothing happened." Nathan said, smiling. Was he enjoying this?

"I heard a scream." Anna said pointedly.

Azalea blushed further. "Nothing happened."

"You screamed?"

"He told you he was good at ambushing!"

Anna started laughing, as did Dwayne and David. "Did you make it out of the washroom?"

"New subject!" Rapunzel exclaimed. Azalea gaped at her.

"Punzie, I have never loved you until now. Thank you."

Everyone burst out laughing, and Sage started choking on his biscuit. Sarah hit him on the back, and Sage put a napkin to his mouth. He balled up the napkin and put it down, looking miserable.

"I never understand your jokes." The little boy said sadly.

Azalea flashed him a sympathetic glance. "They're not that funny."

"Then why is Ace still laughing?"

She glanced at Candace to see her face red. Candace took a deep breath, and then started giggling. "David told me a funny story yesterday."

"Oh, yes? What was it about then?" Adam looked at David.

David grinned. "You really want to know?"

"Tell us."

Azalea couldn't breathe afterwards. She put her head on the table, her stomach beginning to hurt. "Eugene, you did _not_ do that with Maximus!"

Eugene threw his hands up. "How would I have known that Max could handle a sword so confidently?"

Michael looked sick from laughing so hard. "I would have expected Eugene to lose."

"Nope. It was actually a tie." Eugene smiled.

"You asked for a two out of three." Rapunzel was giggling, her emerald eyes glowing.

"He was better than I expected." Eugene grinned.

"Who has hit someone with a frying pan before?" Alex asked.

Rapunzel, Eugene, Sarah, and Azalea put their hands up.

Eugene looked at Azalea. "You have?"

"Someone tried to get me to buy a tree."

"Not that I support it, but what's wrong with that?" Adam looked perplexed.

Azalea grimaced when she remembered.

"They followed me home."

Rapunzel and Anna started laughing again. "So you hit them with a frying pan?"

"Can you blame me? Frying pans are amazing. You can cook and defend your puppies with them." Azalea smiled. Nathan and Alex started chuckling.

"Who hit someone with a box and arrow?" Nathan asked.

Fernidia raised her hand, looking proud. Olivia looked dismayed and put her hand to her forehead.

"Who was it?"

"Anna-Beth."

Nathan looked shocked and amused. "Want to explain, Anna?"

"I was walking home and Fernidia shot at me from the top of someone's house."

"Fernidia?" Nathan looked at her, one dark eyebrow raised.

Fernidia looked down, embarrassed. "No one saw me."

"I saw you! Not to mention that you pinned me to my door and I was stuck until you climbed down to remove it." Anna cried.

Olivia sighed, her blue eyes sullen. "I don't know why, Mother, you bought her that."

Stephanie looked dismayed as well. "I figured that someone should know how to shoot a bow."

"The knights learn how to." Dwayne said, looking at Nathan.

"I hit Liam with a bag of dough." David volunteered.

"And that bruised me for a week. You knocked me down with it." Liam grumbled. David started laughing.

"It was an accident!" David defended himself between chuckles.

"But you looked right at me and threw it to me. You even yelled 'Catch, you bastard!'." Liam glared playfully at him.

"You had it coming. You burned my cupcakes the day before."

"Candace told me to practice icing them."

"So how the hell did you burn them?"

"They got cold and I wanted to heat them up. Then Sarah came along, and I got distracted."

"You started telling jokes, Liam."

"She had beautiful laughter, Dave."

Azalea looked around the room, smiling. She caught Rapunzel's eye and saw that she actually looked a little worried. Which was understandable. Jacob was still on the loose, and Maximus was injured. Pascal was playing with Flynn in the princess's arms. Rapunzel looked at Azalea and Azalea almost thought that she was looking into a mirror. Minus the few differences, she and Rapunzel actually looked very similar.

Azalea flashed her a reassuring smile, and Rapunzel smiled back, tentatively.

"How could you pretend to be someone else?"

She meets his green eyes shakily, aware of the fury in them. "I didn't want to. I'm not going to anymore."

"I thought you were Rapunzel!" Nathan shakes his head, dark curls flying. "How could you do this to me?"

"I'm not going to be her anymore! I'm getting her back!"

She still felt guilty. Very guilty. She vowed that if Rapunzel ever needed help with anything, Azalea would do her best to help her. Not just because they were friends –so she liked to think- but because Azalea owed it to her.


	113. Snow Angel

K*H*W* (go to my profile :)

* * *

><p><span>Chapter One Hundred and Thirteen<span> _Azalea's Point of View_

She opened the door to their room, half-asleep. David had insisted for her to help him lift bags of dough and knead the dough into mindless shapes that didn't make sense. Eventually she just stopped paying attention and she just let her hands move automatically. Dough dotted her face and she sleepily washed her hands in the washroom. She opened the door to the bedroom and couldn't make herself walk anymore.

"The bed is _way_ over there." Azalea slowly sank to the floor, her eyes closing miserably. "I can't make it."

Nathan chuckled from sitting on the bed. She weakly glared at him. He was on the bed and she couldn't make her way to it. She felt deliriously sad, and that made her feel more tired.

"Come on, Doll. You can do it." Nathan coaxed her, his voice soft with fondness.

"No, it's way over _there_." Azalea moaned. "I can't feel my legs."

Nathan smiled, a flash of white teeth in the gloom. "Really?"

"Mh-hm." Azalea sighed. She laid down on the floor, her body stiff and aching. "The floor's nice. I might fall asleep here. . ."

Nathan started chuckling harder, thoroughly amused. He crawled off the bed over to her, and lies down next to her. She turned her limp head to see his green eyes gleaming. He put a warm hand on her cheek, gazing at her with amusement.

"Why did I listen to David?" Azalea asked out loud, slowly sinking into sleep.

"It was my idea really."

"It was?" Azalea looked back at him. "Why would you do this to me?"

Nathan smiled. "I wanted you tired enough so I could carry you to bed."

Azalea smiled drowsily. "Aw. Okay."

"So you're not mad?"

"Nope. Sleepy though."

They laid on the floor in silence, listening to the quiet. The room was moderately dark, the only light coming from the waning moon. She somehow fell asleep, feeling content. So they were sleeping on the floor, and not the bed that was inches away. It was all right. It actually felt nice doing something different.

"So, baby names?" Nathan asked her from sitting on next to her. He looked around the little house. Azalea stood up, going to the kitchen.

"Um, Nathan." Azalea said as she poured them cups of tea. She peeked out of the windows out to the thick layers of snow coating the outside of their home. She looked back at Nathan, surprised to see him standing right next to her.

"Yes?" Nathan asked, his hand going to her blond hair.

"Not you, silly." She stood up on her tip-toes, mindful of her swelling belly. She pecked his lips and he smiled before kissing her forehead. "Nathan Junior."

Nathan's eyes lit up. "Oh." He smiled brightly.

"What do you think?"

"I like it. You want a boy?" He went to the cabinet to pull out a silver tray. He set the tea cups on saucers and then set the saucers on the tray. She reached for the tray but Nathan edged out of her way, giving her a gentle look. She couldn't be frustrated, not anymore. It seemed as the days went by, things became more and more heavy.

"You want a girl?" She smilesd following him to the loveseat they had been sitting on. They sat back down, the silver tray now on the handcrafted coffee table.

"She'd be just like you," Nathan's hand cupped her chin. He smiled, his green eyes shining. They had been shining ever since she had told him the news. She smiled, remembering how happy he had been.

"How about. . ." Azalea blinked.

"Avalon." She said at the same time Nathan said, "Rosemary."

Nathan blinked and said it together. "Avalon Rosemary."

Azalea smiled, shortening the two names. "Ava-Rose."

"It's cute." Nathan grinned, and Azalea saw that the name was abruptly finalized.

Azalea felt her eyes begin to burn and she wiped at them. Nathan wrapped her in a gentle hug. "You like it?" he cooed.

Azalea nodded fiercely, trying to grab her bearings. "It makes them feel nearby." She murmured.

Nathan's arms wrapped around her tighter. "Ava-Rose it is, then."

"And Nathan Junior, too?"

"And then the second boy will be named Tanner."

Azalea smiled and Nathan drew back, ruffling her hair. He handed her one of the two cups of tea. "We need another flower though." Nathan chuckled as she goes on, "How about Iris?"

"I like that one too." He appraised her. "Where are you getting your ideas from?"

Azalea folded her arms. "Since I can't go to David's anymore, I've been toying with a few things."

Nathan grinned. "Has Rapunzel come to visit you yet?"

"She came by. . . Two days ago." Azalea pouted. "She wouldn't even let me open the door. I'm not that fragile."

"Quite the contrary."

She sighed. "Fine."

"Come on." Nathan got up, grabbing her hand. He guided her to the front door, taking a moment to wrap a scarf around her neck. She grabbed a wool hat and puts it on his head, getting up on her tip-toes. Nathan handed her a pair of gloves and she tucked a scarf around the coat he was pulling on. She put on the gloves quickly and eyed Nathan.

"Hm?" Nathan pulled a wool hat on her head.

"Can I open the door?"

"Nope. Maybe in six months." Nathan opened the door and she rolled her eyes. White flurries land on the ground and Azalea found herself smiling. The world is moderately silent but was clean with the pure whiteness of the snow.

A snowflake landed on Azalea's nose and she sneezed. Nathan smiled, wrapping his arm around her and they started walking into the snow. The trees around them are covered in snow and she spotted the beginnings of their snow angel a few yards away.

She hobbled to it, smiling. "We never finished."

Nathan caught up and grabbed a lump of snow. He put it on the hips of the snow angel and sculpted it into the torso. It was quiet while they add snow to the angel.

"It's you." Nathan finally stopped. Azalea rubbed snow on her face to keep herself awake. "Sleepy?" Nathan eyed her.

He knew her too well. So she lied. "Nope."

"Mh-hm," Nathan winked at her.

"How is it me?" She took a few steps back and eyes the snow angel. Then she saw it. "Am I that big?"

Nathan looked at her and then the angel. He added more snow to the wings and she shivers when a cold breeze shakes more snow to her face. "There we go."

She started laughing. "Aren't you cold?"

"I have my Doll with me, so no." Nathan grabbed her gloved hands. He pecked her temple and then they start walking back to the house. He whispered in her ear. "I am actually very warm. Maybe it's the everlasting warmth that your presence brings."

"How poetic."

"I try." Nathan smiled, kissing her temple again. He opened the door, and then-

"Azalea," someone shook her awake.

She blinked her eyes open, seeing Sage's face. "Hey, Sage." She groggily sat up, stretching. She realized that she was lying on the bed, and looked around.

"Morning, Auntie!" Sage smiled. Then he jumped on the bed. "Nathan's in the washroom."

"Morning." Azalea felt her eyes grow moist. She hugged him, sighing.

"What's wrong?" Sage asked, his voice worried.

"I had a good dream, that's all."

"What were you doing?"

She glanced at the washroom door, almost puzzled. Did she and Nathan share dreams this time?

"I was making a snow angel."


	114. Moon-Silver and Sun-Gold

K*H*W* (go to my profile :)

* * *

><p><span>Chapter One Hundred and Fourteen<span>

Olivia's wedding gown was gorgeous.

The long train flowed to the ground and I could see her eyes sparkling as I sketched possible hairstyles. Fernidia was glowing with pride as she appraised her younger sister in the gown. The gown was strapless, though there was lace covering her neck and her back right where the top of the dress was to start.

Anna and Azalea were searching through the drawers of the chest, looking at Olivia and then going back to the drawer. Bottles and jars dotted the wooden surfaces of the room; I looked at Olivia.

"You have one day left to be a fiancé. How does it feel?" I smiled.

"I want it to happen now." Olivia pouted, and we started giggling.

"You should have seen me the day before." Sarah smiled. "I was crying my heart out."

"So what was the bachelorette night like?" Fernidia asked.

"I ended up dancing on a table." Sarah grinned.

Azalea burst out laughing. "I want to do that!"

"Who knows; you might." Candace adjusted Olivia's train. "You drink so much."

"Alcohol is a necessity. I figured everyone would be drunk all the time by now." A shadow flickered in Azalea's eyes.

"I thought it was a luxury." I said in confusion.

Azalea shrugged. "Then why is it so easy to buy rum?"

"Have you had rum?" I looked at her.

"Nope," she shook her head. "But it's on my to-do list."

"Drink rum when you've locked yourself in your room. Don't leave any candles around, and do _not _leave the windows unlocked." Olivia said, looking at herself in the mirror.

We all looked at her.

"What happened?" Anna-Beth asked, putting her hands on her hips and giving Olivia a stern look from her green eyes.

Olivia blushed. "Nothing."

"Liv."

"All right, I lit a candle, opened a window, and nearly lit a house on fire throwing it out."

"Damn." Azalea grinned. "I need to go drinking with _you_."

Olivia looked amused yet uncomfortable. "When?"

"Before I'm married and have to be 'responsible'." Azalea air quoted.

"Count on it then." Olivia grinned, her bright blue eyes glowing.

I smiled, trying not to laugh. "But Liv, you'll be married too."

"No ring, no proof."

"So you'll go without your ring on?" Candace gasped.

Olivia looked thoughtful, and then she answered.

"Yup. And then we'll get drunk as hell. Ooh, and then we'll try to ride Maximus home."

After that, we had a hard time being productive.

* * *

><p>When Stephanie opened the door, she caught us red-faced and sore in the stomach. Stephanie looked at Olivia, then at us.<p>

"Having fun?"

"What did you do when you were drunk?" I asked her.

She looked down. "Why should I tell you?"

"Because we're helping Olivia look gorgeous."

Stephanie sighed and broke into a smile that made her look like she was in her courting years again.

"I started a mob by saying that they were shutting down the bars because Coronans drink too much. I ended up sick as a dog for days and bartending for an entire six months."

"Did you have fun?"

"It was one of the best nights of my life, yes."

She closed the door, smiling when we started shrieking in laughter. I could hardly speak, and laid on the floor, unable to breathe.

When we made it to the Dining Hall, we were in tears. Olivia looked at her plate, her face still flushed. I couldn't eat anything and just felt sick.

"I never knew you could laugh too much," Anna looked unhappy. "That stinks. I love laughing."

"Anna, what have you done while you were drunk?" Sarah asked her.

Anna grinned. "Why do we keep asking people? We might as well ask everyone."

"Agreed."

"Um, Nathan should tell you that." Anna frowned. "I don't remember much."

Nathan looked up at the sound of his name, his hand on his side. "She, my good friends, tried to get me to beat up her. . . How would I say this? Former fiancé."

"I was sober, Nat." Anna-Beth pointed out.

"Drunk. Sober. It's all the same." He reclined back in his chair. Liam and Dwayne shot him a thumbs up and he smiled.

"I'm kidding. She tried to break all of our windows with soup ladle. She said they were dirty but was too tired to clean them."

Anna giggled. "They had grease stains on them."

"Which is why you never wipe grease on them. You did that first."

I started laughing and then felt someone touch my head. "Fernidia, no!"

"What? I'm not doing anything to it." She sounded sad. I turned to her, and scowled.

"No cutting."

"The flowers are still here. You won't lose your powers."

"No cutting, Ferns."

"Fine, fine." She pouted.

Azalea blinked. "You need a haircut?"

"No. I need a trim."

She looked at my hair, and sighed. "What's it like carrying all that hair around?"

"It's very warm." Eugene put in, grinning, thinking to that day I had slept in my hair after he agreed to take me to see the lanterns. Azalea started smile.

She got up and moved behind me. I stiffened and then weakly smiled when she added, "I'm not armed with any sharp objects."

"False. You have a very sharp tongue." Liam said. Azalea eyed him, arching both eyebrows.

"Mr. Kilter, I believe your vest is unbuttoned."

Liam looked exasperated.

"Sage, that is the _third_ time-"

Sage looked down. "It's fun, though, Father. I make a game out of it."

"How so?" I looked at Sage.

Sage smiled. "I have to do it quietly and if he catches me, he'll eat me."

Anora burped in my arms and I rocked her in my arms for a moment, and then Azalea's fingers touched my hair.

I felt the world spin away and then I was somewhere else.

I was in the gardens again. I looked around. "Azalea?" Where had she gone?

"This place is amazing!" Azalea's voice sounded near the middle of the gardens. I started walking to her, and I realized how safe I felt. I had never felt so safe before, with a few exceptions. Not in my tower, not in the palace. Nowhere except Eugene's arms.

"You act like we're never here." I looked around, and was stunned to see her at my side. Had she always been so quiet?

"It's different somehow." Azalea grinned, and I blinked to see her _very_ green eyes looking back at me. She went still, the smile fading, gazing at me.

"You look like me." We both said at the same time.

"Really?" We asked, confusion spreading our features.

I put my hand to my forehead. "Okay, don't talk."

She went quiet.

"Why do you have my eyes?" I spoke, and she spoke the exact same words at the exact same time.

"Damn it, stop that!" Azalea spoke alone. I nodded, a little daunted.

I looked back at the middle of the gardens. "What's over there?" I turned to her slowly.

Then I heard my voice.

I sounded like her and like myself at the same time.

"The flowers," Azalea spoke and I watched when she realized the same thing I did. She shook her head slowly, and we both started walking to the flowers. I stopped dead when I saw what they looked like.

The petals were glowing in the most chaotic blend of silver and gold, and both colors pulsated, melting together every second yet separately glowing. It was astonishing, and I reached down to touch one.

"Where's the new one?" Azalea looked around. I froze, my hand inches from the flower and looked around. I couldn't see it. The sun flower with two heads.

I stood up straight and looked at her. I mean, _really_ looked at her.

"What are you wearing?" I pointed to her gown.

Her long blond hair was in a braid right by her shoulder blades. The gown she was wearing was the same color of the flowers. Moon silver and sun gold. She was barefoot, like me, and a moonstone necklace glimmered on her neck.

"What am I wearing?" She pointed at me. "What are you wearing?".

I looked down, confused. I was in the same gown, but instead of a moonstone necklace, I was wearing a silver chain with a chunk of smooth yellowstone on my neck. I touched it gently, and felt warmth shoot through my hands. I yanked my hand to my side, my eyes flying wide. The necklace was trying to heal me.

"Where the hell are we?" I heard Azalea ask, her eyes wide. She had seen it too.

I watched her touch her own necklace, and her hair immediately started glowing. The silver shot down her hair, and her eyes began to lighten to silver. She put her hand to her side slowly, shock in her eyes that were slowly turning green again. The gray settled back into her eyes, and I relaxed the tiniest bit.

"I thought I knew but I have no idea." I abruptly remembered how we got here. "Take your hands off of my hair."

"Your hair got us _here_?" Azalea gasped.

"I suppose so."

Azalea went still in concentration, and sighed. "I can't feel anything. This feels too real. Maybe we. . . I don't know."

I looked around then at Azalea. "Maybe we just need to touch the new sun flower and then we'll wake up."

What an odd situation we were in.

"The question is: where is it?" Azalea spoke. We started bending over, gazing at the other flowers. Where was it?

I spotted a glint of gold a little away from the other flowers and walked to it. I squinted to see it, and there it was. The mysterious sun flower with two heads.

"Azal, I found it."

She hurried over, and stopped, looking at it. "Why does it have two heads?"

I shrugged. "Perhaps Michael could tell us." He was always updated on stories and jokes.

We bent down to touch it, and the sky went dark. The moon filled the sky, and we stood up to see the sun go down. I was puzzled when the gold sun flowers, including the one we were standing by, quickly turned silver. I spotted the gold on Azalea's gown changing colors to match the flowers and assumed mine was doing the same.

"Odd." Azalea mumbled, looking at her gown. She looked at my eyes, and then blinked. "They've turned gray."

"Yours have, too."

Her hair was silver again, and she told me that my hair had changed.

I shrugged, and then we bent down again. Right when our fingers made contact, rosy streaks of dawn filled the sky. The sun flowers turned gold, and our gowns quickly lit up, nearly blinding us. Azalea's hair bleached gold, and I pulled at my braid, seeing it turn gold as well. I stood in front of Azalea, looking at her eyes.

They were gold now, not silver, green, or gray.

Then it repeated itself. Dawn, gold, and some other color, along with silver. Day, silver-gold. Night, silver. Twilight was an odd time. The sun flowers appeared almost white.

It didn't make sense.

"We'll never touch the flower if the sky keeps changing on us." Azalea huffed. I giggled for a moment and then was shocked to feel the words leave my mouth.

"Why leave?"

"Why stay?"

"It's beautiful here."

"Rapunzel, we're not really _here_."

"But why leave?"

Azalea looked around, and her silver eyes glowed in the dim light. "Michael might want to know about this."

"What? You touching my hair and we get visions of the flowers changing colors?"

Azalea defended herself. "It might have something to do with the story."

"What were you thinking about when you touched my hair?"

Azalea looked around. "Maximus."

"Why would that bring us here?"

Azalea shrugged, and I gave up. I bent down to touch the flower, and Azalea hung back. My hands finally made contact with the soft petals, and I felt my vision spin away. I looked at her, wide eyed.

"Take my hand." I reached out for her. She looked around back the other silver flowers and grabbed my hand. Everything blurred-

"Goddamn." Azalea wrenched her hands away from my hair. I stood up, and gently put Anora on the table. Shock colored Azalea's face, and she took a few steps back from the table. Everyone looked up at us, and I was stunned to see that they were still laughing at Sage unbuttoning his father's vest. Only seconds had passed?

"That is the _last_ time you're touching my hair again." I looked at Azalea. She put her hands in the air and winced.

"That _is_ the last time I'm touching your hair." She looked shaken. "And what are you guys staring at?"

"You two were staring at the wall for a few seconds." David explained, looking calm. "Found a bug?"

"Ha-ha." Alex muttered.

Azalea sat back down, and I picked up Anora. Nathan nudged Azalea.

"You were laughing and then you had this blank look in your eyes. Everything all right?" He looked at her.

Azalea nodded. "Everything's fine."

Eugene shot me a look, and I pecked his cheek.

_Men and their worrying_, I scowled in Anora's chest. _We'll figure out what it was later when a certain Dawson is alone_.


	115. A Strong Rose Singing Carols

K*H*W* (go to my profile :)

* * *

><p><span>Chapter One Hundred and Fifteen<span> _Rosemary's Point of View_

Caroline was in tears.

Owen stood there, looking slight ill at ease and Rosemary fidgeted with Caroline's white veil, trying to stop her own tears. She wondered what would have happened if they had stayed in Corona. Would Caroline find a man to marry and instead of sadness, she'd be crying tears of joy?

"Carol, I'm so sorry." Rosemary bawled, giving up the fight. The tears streamed down her face and Caroline started sobbing. Rosemary caught Caroline in a hug, looking around the almost empty room. The bridesmaids were already gone.

"Come here," Owen says to Rosemary. He leads them to the washroom, and then water is being poured down their heads. Caroline screams, and Rosemary tries to leave the room.

"Owen, stop!" Caroline shrieks, and more water flow down her face. Owen's father is holding another full bucket of water, and Rosemary blanches when she sees several more buckets by the walls.

"What are you doing?" Rosemary asks when Owen makes them sit down. Caroline detaches herself from the room, and lets Owen's father drain more buckets on her hair. Eventually, Owen's father grabs a cloth and starts running soap down Caroline's dark hair.

"Getting out the ink." Owen's voice sounds taut. He glances at his father, whose eyes are dull. "Hold still."

Rosemary stiffens, and holds her breath when more water dumps itself on her hair. Owen's father speaks, and his voice sounds sad.

"I remember when I did this to Charlie."

Owen smiles sadly. "Oh, yes? Right after we had thrown ink at each other's faces."

Owen's father chuckles. "Right after that. He didn't talk to me for two days, and then he realized that the ink was gone."

Caroline blinks, and Rosemary can see that she isn't feeling cheerful either. Rosemary hardly felt the bright sun this morning. They had buried Mrs. Smits in the Ladron cemetery. Seeing the burial grounds had made everything very real and she realized the predicament they were in all over again. Mother wasn't fairing too well now, and Owen and his father said they were going to move into the palace. Caroline had discussed it with the prince, and he had agreed. Even though Caroline despised the prince, the prince was quick to give her what she wanted. He had even agreed to letting their homes stay vacant.

"That's enough," Owen's voice brings her back. She stands up, water dripping onto her gown. She looks down and then at Caroline, who looks miserable.

"You okay?" Rosemary blinks at her younger sister. Caroline has her arms wrapped around herself.

"This is so I can marry him, isn't it?" Caroline looks at the Smits, and then at her. Rosemary looks at the betrayal and hurt in Caroline's eyes that strangely seem more blue than blue-green.

Rosemary sighs, and looks to see the Smits nodding slowly.

"You don't understand, sweet pea." Owen's father says, his voice tired. "There's no choice."

Caroline shakes her head.

"There's always a choice." Rosemary said, remembering Caroline's words. "Just not with certain things."

Caroline gazes at Rosemary, and something shakes Rosemary's composure. Caroline is gazing at her with a gaze of such intensity. Rosemary can't pull her eyes away.

Caroline looks at Owen then, and weakly smiles. "Thank you."

Why did it sound like a goodbye?

Rosemary watches Caroline leave, her heart aching. So many things would have been different if they had just stayed. If they had stayed, Caroline would actually wanted to marry a man. And the man would have wanted to marry her. Rosemary was sure that Richard only wanted to marry Caroline because to him, she was the most beautiful. On the courting nights, had he even taken time to know her heart?

Rosemary looks back at Owen, and then to his father. They are both sitting down on the hardwood floor, side by side. Their identical heads hang low and she realizes that grief would keep them down for a long time. Even now, when she gazed at the sky at night, just to imagine her father looking down at her, she couldn't really glimpse the stars.

Rosemary walks home slowly, eyeing her hair. The dark apple red is back, but shines faintly. It would take time for her hair to lighten back to its true shade of crimson, and for some reason Rosemary feels that it wouldn't matter. There is enough apple red showing for her to be recognizable.

She looks at the sky, trying to really see it. She gazes up at the weak sun, the sun that is now going down, and feels rain land on her face. Her eyes wheel around and she finally sees the gray clouds. Why hadn't she noticed the clouds before?

She hurries home then, trying to avoid being soaked. She opens the door to her home after her mother opens it. She pecks her mother's cheek, and feels the atmosphere in the room shift.

"Hello, Mother. I'm surprised to see you out of bed." She speaks quickly, her eyes now searching for the door to Caroline's room.

Her mother's hazel eyes are sad. "I wanted a bit of fresh air. Is it raining?" She opens the door a little, and sighs, closing it. "I was about to go out."

Rosemary has a second to feel actual shock, and then pecks her mother's cheek again. "Maybe tomorrow?" Is her mother getting better?

"Maybe." Her mother says, walking back to her room. Rosemary watches her go and feels alone. She fidgets with her hands, feeling the room darken. Something bad was about to happen, she is sure of it.

She knocks on Caroline's door. "Carol?"

"Go away, Rose." Caroline says, her voice muffled.

"Let me in."

"Why?"

"I want to talk to you."_ I have a feeling that whatever bad is about to happen is going to happen to you-_

Rosemary doesn't hear a reply and that scares her. She turns the knob to open the door and pushes. The door hits something and Rosemary feels dread fill her stomach. "Caroline, open up!"

Nothing.

"Caroline!" Rosemary tries to keep her voice down. The door down the hall opens and her mother peeks out.

"Rose, I'm going to walk for just a little bit. I'll be back before twilight, all right?"

Rosemary's face feels cold. "All right."

Her mother walks out and past Rosemary and Rosemary feels her mother's hand gently touch her cheek. Rosemary closes her eyes to engrain the sensation in her memory. When has her mother last done that?

When the front door closes, announcing her mother's departure from the house, Rosemary starts banging on the door.

"Caroline Fennel, open the door!"

Nothing.

_Oh my God,_ Rosemary ducks into her room and her hand searches under her bed. She grabs the handle and storms in front of Caroline's door, losing more and more of her composure.

"One more chance, Carol." Rosemary aims the hatchet at the door. She was either going to tear it apart or Caroline was going to open it.

"There's always a choice in any situation." Caroline says and Rosemary grips the handle for support. "Death is a choice, Rose. I'm choosing it."

Rosemary goes quiet, stunned. And then she replays Caroline's words.

"Death is a choice, Rose. I'm choosing it."

Rosemary screams. "You are _not_ killing yourself!"

She hits the door and then she hears a chair being knocked over. She hits the door over and over, nicking her face and hands. "Caroline, I'm going to kill you if you die on me!"

She can't catch her breath and she then feels like she is choking. She hits the door with her fists, banging on it.

It wouldn't open. It wouldn't open. It wouldn't open.

_ It's not opening._

"Caroline!" Rosemary screams, grabbing the doorknob and yanking, frenzied. Oh Lord, if she doesn't get that door open-

She has let everyone down. She has let _everyone_ down. She has let herself down. She has let Riley down. She has let Owen and Caroline down. She has let Mother and Father-

What would Mother say when she finally gets Caroline's door open?

"_Caroline!_"

Rosemary pounds on the door, turning the knob with one hand and hurling herself at the door over and over. She grabs the hatchet again but starts aiming blindly. She feels a pain in her left hand and hits the door, ignoring it. Caroline can't die. _Not Caroline, too._

The hatchet falls to the ground and Rosemary's body follows.

She sinks back again the door, tears falling down her face. She can't get the door open. The house suddenly seems to shrink and she can feel herself breathing shallower.

Was this what a panic attack felt like?

"Caroline!" A voice enters through her mind. Glass breaks and then Caroline is screaming. Rosemary is too far gone to really notice. She just sits there, her head lying limp against the wall. She still can't breathe and now she feels like she couldn't move.

"Owen, stop! I've made my choice-"

"Why would you do this to them? Think about your mother, Carol. Your sister, oh hell, why would you do _this_ to them?" Owen yells.

Caroline goes quiet, and Rosemary dimly hears something being moved. The door opens, and Owen and Caroline stands in the threshold. Caroline chokes when she sees Rosemary on the floor and Owen hurries to the washroom.

"Rose?" Caroline asked, her voice quiet with fear.

Rosemary is floating. She can barely see, her vision blurred by her tears.

Something cool rubs on her face and Rosemary feels her body sag to the floor. Caroline bites her lip and she and Owen shift Rosemary back into a sitting position.

"Rosemary, can you hear me?" Owen shakes her.

Rosemary feels her lungs relax and air leaves her mouth. Her breath hitches.

She never got the door open. What if Owen hadn't showed up? She feels her stomach turn and her mouth is sealed shut. She feels nauseous, and the nausea has nowhere to go.

She gets to her shaking feet, hurrying to the washroom. She doubles over, crying. Caroline is suddenly behind her and Rosemary meets her eyes.

"Don't do this to me." Rosemary whispers, her heart beating in agony. The thought of leaving without her father when he is sick was terrible. Now Caroline had tried to-

"I won't, Rosemary. I-I promise." Caroline sobs, wrapping Rosemary in a hug. Rosemary wraps her arms around Caroline. She was finally letting it all out. She mourned for her father, and she mourned for Caroline's lost chances. She mourned for Riley and she mourned for the former maiden she had been.

"No more tears." Caroline said, bringing Rosemary out of her thoughts, wiping at her eyes. She stood up straight, and Owen smiled weakly. Rosemary wiped her own eyes, and Caroline gazed at her. For a moment, Rosemary saw herself in Caroline's eyes.

"You can do this." Owen said. "Both of you." He looked at Rosemary.

Rosemary squared her shoulders, meeting Owen's light green gaze. She turned to Caroline and thought of Riley. He sometimes felt so nearby, like if she turned around, he'd be right behind her.

"Your favorite flower?"

"You haven't guessed yet?" Rosemary teasingly glares at him. "I love pansies."

Riley starts laughing. "I should have guessed that. Want to know mine?"

She nods.

"Rosemary flowers are the most beautiful."

Caroline looked at door, and gestured to Rosemary. Rosemary held Caroline's gaze, and they both nodded. This was it.

She went to the door, and looked down the hall. She spotted the king, and called to him. "Lord Frederick, she's ready."

The king smiled and walked over to her. From a distance, she almost thought Lord Frederick could be nice. Then when he walked closer, instead of seeing his smile that had been so pleasant at first, it was now mischievous. He cupped her chin, looking into her face. She stifled a shudder when he walked to Caroline.

Caroline walked past Rosemary, and Rosemary found Owen by her side, where he seemed to be lately. She smiled at him, and when he smiled back, she gained courage from it. So, she pecked his cheek and followed Caroline out.

_Azalea's Point of View_

"I caught it!" Anna squealed. She held the bouquet in her arms, grinning. Azalea nudged Anna.

"I can't believe you caught it so confidently. I would have dropped it." Azalea grinned. Anna stuck her tongue out, and then looked at Guy and Olivia as they wandered to the carriage. Nathan held the empty bucket and sighed.

"What's wrong, Nat?"

"If they were getting married, why would they only have one bucket of petals? I had fun dumping flower babies in Guy's hair." Nathan pouted.

Azalea burst out giggling and rubbed his cheek soothingly. "There, there. It's okay."

Anna watched the two of them, her eyes shining. "How many buckets of petals do you want?"

"Twenty," Nathan said at the moment Azalea said, "Twenty three."

Nathan looked at her. "Twenty seven."

"Twenty five."

"Deal."

Anna started laughing.

"Nat, why does everything come back to babies with you?" Eugene asked.

Nathan's green eyes sparkled. "Because we have babies to continue the legacy of our forefathers."

"Azal told you about that?"

"Punzie did, actually."

Rapunzel wandered over. "I heard my name."

"We were just explaining babies. Nothing to worry about." Eugene said.

Azalea frowned. "That makes it sound icky, Eugene."

"My dearest apologies."

Anna and Nathan started laughing.

They went inside after waving 'goodbye' to the newlywed Starnes'. Azalea sat down at the library, looking at Rapunzel, who was licking her lips. "Anything?"

"He comes here every sunset, wait a minute." Rapunzel grinned.

Azalea blinked. "How the hell do you know that?"

"Apparently, I need to know the whereabouts of my trusted friends." Rapunzel frowned. "It's much more fun trying to find you. You, for instance, Azalea, go to the Dining Hall at midnight to light candles and stare at them."

Azalea blushed. "I don't do it all the time."

"Precisely. You do it every five nights."

Daunted, Azalea scooted away from Rapunzel in her chair. Rapunzel started giggling, and then turned back to the entrance. "Michael, come here!"

"How the hell do you know I come here?" Michael called to them, walking to their table.

Rapunzel looked around, innocent. "Oh, I don't know." She shrugged, grinning.

Michael looked at Azalea, and shrugged. "I don't want to know." He sat down. "Judging that the two of you are here, then there is something to discuss, is there not?"

"You're good," Rapunzel smiled at Michael.

Azalea told Michael what had happened in the Dining Hall. Michael paused in thought, and got up to find a book off the shelf. He put it down on the table and Azalea saw the familiar title.

"See, Punzie? I was right."

"Shush." Rapunzel grimaced, and then smiled, her emerald eyes glowing.

Michael thumbed through the pages, and then held up a page. "The sun and moon are friends again. Finally."

"What?" Rapunzel asked.

"The sun and moon were friends before they became the 'sun' and 'moon'." Michael explained. "You remember. They were both suns, but they had a bet to see who the brightest one would be. Stars helped the sun, and as punishment, God made the moon freeze into the 'moon'. The sun was destined to have the role it has now. You know how it goes. The oldest stars of the stars wanted the sun and moon to be friends again. So they knocked the moon and sun out with herbs from the world as we know it, and made the sun flower."

"There's a new one, though, Michael." Azalea said. Michael glanced at her, shocked. "It has two heads though. It makes no sense."

Michael got up. "How do you know?"

Azalea shrugged. "When. . . When we were dead, we were in a meadow. I think we were at the gardens. But there was a new sun flower with two heads. And I told you about the latest vision. The flowers turn silver at night, gold at dawn, and in the day, they're both colors."

Michael blinked and then he seemed to understand. "That makes sense. You two are friends now." He smiled. "So maybe the new sun flower is a symbol for the 'renewed' friendship."

"But why would it have two heads?"

"Think of the two new additions. You can agree that Flynn and Anora are sun flowers now too. Maybe it knocked two birds out with one stone. The flower could represent the twins and the friendship you two have."

Rapunzel nodded. "I understand."

The library got quiet. Sarah was helping Sage and Liam in David's bakery. Before the trial, David was the only one working there. Now he seemed to have everyone his bakery.

Azalea blinked, realizing what she had forgotten. "Can the flowers make you share dreams?"

Michael and Rapunzel froze, and gazed at her.

"You've shared dreams with someone?" Michael asked, his clear brown eyes burning with an unreadable emotion.

Azalea nodded. "Nathan."

Michael looked around in thought and Rapunzel asked her a question. "What are they about?"

"Fire and babies." And lovemaking and flowers and Jacob and death and never mind that the babies vanish in smoke and never mind that Azalea would be shackled to a wall and never mind that Nathan would be hit over the head with a bottle and never mind-

"Babies?" Rapunzel looked at Azalea, who shrugged. "Did you name them?"

"No." Azalea blushed. Well, in one dream, they had but she never knew if they had shared that dream.

Michael's voice grabbed their attention. "I see."

"See what?" Rapunzel asked.

"Rapunzel, have you ever been hurt out of nowhere?"

Rapunzel, to Azalea's shock, started nodding. "Sometimes my hand hurts. And my stomach."

Michael's face was dark in concentration. "How so?"

Rapunzel blushed. "My stomach would hurt like. . . I had been stabbed. And my hand would hurt like I cut it on something-" A realization made Rapunzel gasp. "Oh!"

Michael nodded. "You healed Adam, only a little because it was too much. But I think you healed him enough for the skin to close. The flowers did the rest. And your hand? Remember when you healed Eugene?"

"I remember." Rapunzel's face was pale. "My neck would hurt too."

"Like someone had cut you?" Azalea said numbly.

Rapunzel nodded slowly. "Yes. Michael, what does it mean?"

"With great power comes great responsibility." Michael said, and then the two blond maidens were nodding. "I suspect sometimes your powers have a whiplash. You heal the person who is hurt but then you sometimes feel their injuries like you _were_ them when that injury happened."

"So when Nathan and I share dreams. . ." Azalea trailed off.

Michael looked at her. "You healed him with the flowers. But before, you healed him with your power. Your _mental_ power. I wouldn't doubt that on some level, you and Nathan mentally connect."

"We haven't shared thoughts or anything."

"You've shared dreams." Michael sat up a little straighter. "When we sleep, our minds are more open. When you two sleep, _your_ minds are more open, thus embracing the connection."

"Have you sung to him any more after you healed him?" Rapunzel asked Azalea. Azalea looked at the princess and shook her head. Rapunzel directed her question to Michael. "What would happen if she did?"

"Not sure. Maybe the connection would develop to where you share thoughts." Michael shrugged. "I don't recommend it, but singing to him while he sleeps might do something to the connection when you're both awake."

Rapunzel grinned. "You live on the edge, don't you?"

"No. Life just has a thing with getting in the way." Michael smiled. Michael was nodding to himself, his dark brown eyes far away. Was there more to it?

"Hold on." Rapunzel paused. "We got off track. Why did we share visions when she only touched my hair? She didn't sing to me or anything."

"You're the mother of the sun flowers so to speak. You were being reached for by one of your 'children'. Sure, she didn't sing to you, but she touched your hair. I don't know why you two went to the gardens other than to realize the connection the _both_ of you have together. Remember when the sun flowers were in danger?" Michael went on when he saw them nod. "You saw them as they died. Now, since you both aren't in any danger, maybe you, Rapunzel, can see the flowers whenever you want. Maybe as Mother Flower," they giggled, "you can check on the children whenever you need to."

Rapunzel smiled. "That actually makes sense. But how do I do that? And how did Azalea see Maximus's thoughts?"

"Azalea's power is all mental. She wasn't trying to heal Maximus, only to see what had startled him." He watched them both shiver from the memory. "The connection is there, it seems, but maybe certain things make it stronger. You only saw what Azalea was seeing because you were checking on her, as Mother Flower."

"So when Rapunzel was going to die," Azalea looked at the princess, "the flowers went black like my eyes because we knew that when Mother Flower died, we were dead too?"

"Correct." Michael grinned. "You're catching on!"

"Well, you did call me smart once upon a time."

"Wait. I just thought of something." Rapunzel's voice brought them back. "When my hair is gold, I can heal physical things. When Azalea's hair is silver, it's all mental. The flowers change colors as well. So maybe they can heal certain things at certain times during the day?"

Azalea gaped. "That makes sense. So maybe since we can't do both, the flowers can."

Michael nodded. "But you only saw this in that vision. It's true, I assure you. But how do you get there, Rapunzel? How do you mentally check on the flowers without being there?"

"Azalea touched my hair but that doesn't happen when anyone else does." Rapunzel said. "And in the visions, our eyes changed colors. They glowed."

"Maybe your powers affects your bodies as well?"

Azalea and Rapunzel nodded. It made sense. Everything was being figured out now.

"One more question and then we can eat." Rapunzel grinned. Azalea smiled.

"What is it?" Michael closed the book.

"How was Azalea able to change into me?"

Michael smiled. "She wasn't really you."

"What the hell does that mean?" Azalea blinked.

"You have a _mental_ power, Azalea. You merely made us think you were Rapunzel."

"That can't be. I _was_ her. I felt the cravings and my emotions being all over the place symptoms and everything."

"When you sang to Rapunzel, you made the connection stronger in a sense." Michael grinned. "I bet if someone chopped off a sun flower right now, you both would feel it instead of it being just Rapunzel."

"But how could I have made you all see her instead of me?"

"Let me rephrase. You _were_ her, but not _her_."

"That made it more confusing."

"You did become her, but your emotions were really yours. You tried to copy Mother Flower and got more than what you bargained for. You looked like her, but you weren't her. You only got her emotions and cravings because you established the mental connection. I think that was really where the connection started. If you sang for her again, you'd make her stronger."

"And when we were both dying, the flowers were hanging onto me because. . ."

"You had been Mother Flower. They thought you were her and weren't understanding why they were still dying. Your body gave out because you were just like them trying to keep everyone alive. It didn't work."

Rapunzel got up. "I really like my new nickname, Michael."

Michael started laughing. "Good to hear. Any other questions?"

"No." Rapunzel yanked Azalea to her feet. Azalea smiled.

"Michael, you should be our guide." She looked at him.

"Who says I'm not?" Michael's eyes shone. "But I'm hungry now. And as your guide, I command you to eat." He fixed them with a stern brown gaze. "Now go."

They walked to the Dining Hall, and Azalea found that she wasn't really hungry. Dread churned in her stomach, and she didn't feel happy about what she and Rapunzel had learned. Instead, she felt dread for beginning to understand their powers.

_Something bad is about to happen but I don't know what it is._


	116. Not Corrected

Chapter One Hundred and Sixteen

I looked up at David when he pushed in Azalea and Sarah. He huffed. "You. Two. Sit. The _hell_ down."

Azalea sighed and obeyed. She rolled her pretty greenish gray eyes and smiled at me. Sarah sat down on Azalea's left, looking mischievous. I sighed.

"What did you do?"

"I iced his bread buns." Sarah grinned.

"Why is he so mad?"

"Because I ate them."

Azalea started laughing. "I thought you just put them under a table." Azalea's pretty eyes abruptly stopped twinkling. Dread filled her eyes and she looked down, hiding her eyes.

Sarah frowned. "Was I supposed to do that?"

I rolled my eyes and then jumped when Alex put his hand on my shoulder. "You can go visit Maximus now."

I exploded out of my seat and handed him Anora. "Great." Azalea burst from her seat, looking at everyone who was still sitting down.

"Can I come?"

"Sure." I beckoned for her to follow me.

_Azalea's Point of View_

"I think Jacob did it." Rapunzel said sharply.

Azalea blinked hard, and then realized that it didn't seem entirely impossible. "I don't know. How would he know where the tower is?"

Rapunzel bit her lip, looking abruptly miserable. "Before I came back to the palace, I found Eugene and. . . Well, at first he thought that I had been with Jacob." She saw Azalea winced and nodded. "I couldn't blame him though. Jacob and I had been wrestling, so you could call it-"

A strange jealousy filled Azalea and for a moment, she felt her mind quiet in shock. What did she have to be jealous about?

"And he tried to drag me back to his house," Rapunzel was still talking. "Eugene came back with. . . He came back with Maximus and they freed me. I still have nightmares sometimes."

"Nightmares?" Azalea blinked. What could Jacob have done that gave Rapunzel nightmares-

"Where did this come from?" Stephanie's soft voice grabs her attention. It is on her waist, dangerously close to the swell in her stomach. She looks at it in the mirror.

Azalea feels her breath catch. A bruise.

"I-I don't know," Azalea gently touches it.

You're sure you didn't fall on something sharp? It looks like you were punched or something."

"Damn!" Azalea nearly heaved. He. . . He hit her?

Rapunzel nodded sadly. "He wasn't too kind to me."

Azalea put her hand to her mouth, emotion making a lump rise in her throat. When had he been capable of such violence? It went from hitting Rapunzel to bashing Sarah on the head with a bottle to slitting Azalea's throat. . . What had _happened_ to him?

She looked at Rapunzel worriedly then. The princess was standing close to Maximus while leaning against the stall door. Rapunzel caught her gaze and irritation sparked in her eyes.

"Say it."

"I beg your pardon?" Azalea flinched.

"Whatever you want to say, just say it."

Azalea sighed. "Are you okay?"

"Shouldn't you be asking Maximus that?"

They both turned to the pearly white horse. Maximus's light brown eyes were half-open, and he looked around the stall walls with moderate fear in his sleepy eyes. He neighed softly, and Pascal, who had settled right beside his friend stroked one of his hooves.

Azalea shrugged. "I mean, you. . . You know. . ."

"Passed out from the exhaustion of caring for twins." Rapunzel said defiantly. It had been two or so days when they had found Maximus injured, but Azalea hadn't had the chance to ask yesterday.

"Oh, is that what they told you that happened?"

Rapunzel huffed. "Apparently, I need to sleep more and try to practice my 'princess lessons'."

Azalea had a second to feel horrified. "Did you just say 'princess _lessons_'?"

Rapunzel groaned quietly, mindful of the groggy Maximus. "I've been in my tower all my life, so now Mother and Stephanie think they need to 'princess me'." She glared at the wall.

"I don't understand."

"They want me to walk around and greet strangers with a gleeful face." Rapunzel growled. "But I do that anyways!" She waved her hands in the air in exasperation.

Azalea put her hand to her mouth. "They want to change you?"

"For the good of Corona." Rapunzel said sarcastically. Azalea was shocked. She had never seen Rapunzel so irritated before. Or so. . . Rebellious. She started giggling.

"Azalea Keen, what in the world is so funny about this?"

"You look so angry, and I find it strangely amusing instead of terrifying."

Rapunzel sighed. "They even want me to brush out my hair three times a week but I _do that anyways_!"

"Three times?"

Rapunzel blinked her emerald green eyes. "Sometimes four, when I catch the braid on the door. It messes the braid up, and then I spend hours redoing it."

Azalea realized that the past two weeks since Flynn and Anora's births haven't been easy for the princess. Instead, they had gotten harder. Azalea felt sympathy wash through her.

"How can I help?"

Rapunzel blinked. "What do you mean?"

"How can I help you?" Azalea blinked when the words left her mouth but then sighed inaudibly. Rapunzel was a princess. She was supposed to be kind. Azalea. . .Well.

"You want to help me?" Rapunzel's eyes lit up in incredulity.

"Why does it sound so impossible?"

"The last time you helped me, you were helping me escape."

"And now. . ." Azalea felt tears dew in her eyes. "Now I'm helping you again." Rapunzel didn't understand.

"Why are you crying?" Rapunzel exclaimed in sadness and caught Azalea in a hug.

"Whoever cut Maximus was trying to cut the tendons. It would make Max useless." Azalea bit her lip hard to rid her mind of the tears.

"Jacob did it." Rapunzel said fiercely. "He's doing this to get back at me. And you!" She looked at Azalea sharply, who cringed. "Why would he cut your throat without a good motive? And he poisoned Fernidia to get back at Michael, and did the same to Anna-Beth, getting revenge against Dwayne for not taking up his side!" Rapunzel was glowering now. "Jacob seems to have his priorities in check, and he's getting back at everyone who has done him wrong."

She fixed Azalea a cold glance. "And I don't think he's done yet."

"What do you mean?"

"He tried to kill you. Giving Fernidia and Anna that tea would have killed them. Think, Azalea! What if they had gone to their room right after they drank that tea? They would have been convulsing and no one would have realized it. Then we find them in their room, choked or. . ." Rapunzel's voice faltered as she considered the terrible alternative.

Azalea paled.

"He hasn't tried to kill Dwayne yet, but you can bet he's working on it." Rapunzel snipped.

Azalea felt her body swaying. "Rapunzel, stop."

"No, Azalea. I won't. Eugene and Guy and Adam and my Father go off to their meetings and are probably saying the same things." Rapunzel's eyes were fierce. "You and I are definitely on his hit list, so to speak. We need to be aware of the risks more than anyone else."

Growing more upset, Rapunzel nearly yelled. "For God's sakes, he nearly killed Maximus!"

Azalea flinched when Maximus suddenly thumped the floor with his hooves. Rapunzel had startled him, and she was startling her. "Rapunzel-"

"He tried to try with me, Azalea."

Azalea went cold. "You're serious?"

"Why would I lie?"

"Oh, I don't know! Maybe to spare my feelings!"

"I can't believe this. You can't have feelings for Jacob, can you? He tried to kill you! In fact, he did."

Azalea snapped. "I'm not saying I do, but trying is a sensitive subject for me. Especially if the woman isn't married to the man. You know what Alec and Matthew did."

Rapunzel slapped her forehead. "I understand that, but, Azalea, we have to stop him. Calm down," her eyes glanced at Azalea's hands, "and let go of that pitchfork."

Azalea blinked when she realized that one of her hands was grasping cold metal. She took a deep breath and told her hands to release her grip; the pitchfork fell silently on a bale of hay.

Rapunzel watched her as she sank back against the wall. "You and Jacob used to be a pair, didn't you?"

"Then it ended wonderfully with Matthew's dead baby on my kitchen table." Azalea felt like she was stepping into water after walking on stone.

"How did you cope?"

"I didn't." Azalea looked at Rapunzel sadly. "Whenever I go to bed with Nathan, right when he's asleep, sometimes. . . Sometimes I get up and bar the door with a chair. Sometimes I put the basins on the window sill, which doesn't work because one time one fell, and I nearly woke up the entire palace being startled by the sound. Nathan's knocked one over too."

Rapunzel looked sorrowful. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Azalea burst into tears. "Who wants to know that I birthed a baby that shouldn't have happened," Azalea's voice shook, "and then she goes and dies on me?"

Rapunzel moved to Azalea's side and sat down by her. They were both gazing at Maximus and Pascal, who both had somehow fallen asleep during their conversation.

Azalea started sobbing. "I loved her the minute I saw her. I. . ." She weakly started laughing. She could feel the day's strain wearing on her nerves. It had probably gotten to Rapunzel too, and that was probably why they had started snapping at each other so quickly. "I held her in my arms right after Rose dressed her, and thought, 'She looks _nothing_ like me.' She looked like my Mother, Rapunzel. If Mother had been there that morning, she would have been so happy. Not that Ava died but because she would have thought that a man loved me enough to give me a baby." Azalea started uselessly wiping away tears.

"You have Nathan, Azal." Rapunzel rubbed Azalea's shoulder.

"But Ava was my first child, and she never made it."

Rapunzel nodded, her eyes turning red. She sniffled and the stables were very quiet. It had been sunset when the two had walked to the stables to check on Maximus and they had been watching her doze on and off for hours now.

"You know, I used to dream about babies." Rapunzel said quietly.

Azalea looked at her. "Really?"

"Mh-hm." Rapunzel nodded slowly, her emerald eyes shimmering in thought. "I used to dream about waking up with seven on them on the bed, and I'd turn and see the gorgeous face of my husband." She sighed.

"What happened?" Azalea gazed at Rapunzel's kind face.

"Eventually. . . I suppose reality hit me." Rapunzel whispered. "I realized that I would never have any children. I would never have a husband either, because I was never getting out of my tower."

Azalea felt Rapunzel's body begin to shake and realized that she was crying. "Why so sad, Mother Flower?" Azalea said, and Rapunzel gave her a tiny smile.

"Life is so unfair." Rapunzel sobbed. "You. . . You actually got to live, you know? You had an entire sky to look at when you were seven, when all I had was a little window. You got to know people your entire life and I kept seeing the same two faces. Not that they weren't beautiful faces, but. . . You had people to meet, and I had to sing with the birds in the morning. You actually had a baby growing inside of you, knowing what it was at, and still living your life at . . .Sixteen?" She looked at Azalea for consent and went on, "And by the time I was carrying Anora and Flynn, I had no idea about it because I was chained to a wall and hooped up on herbs.

Azalea broke down into tears. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize." Rapunzel bawled. "That's just how life works out sometimes.

Azalea couldn't stop crying. Rapunzel tried to wipe her own eyes, but more tears flowed.

"I can't believe that I never understood what you meant until now."

"When I meant what?" Azalea asked.

"When you kidnapped me." Rapunzel gave her a look that meant it was in the past but guilt still surged through Azalea. "Admit it, Azalea. You wanted to see the girl your mother had been fussing about for eighteen years."

"I used to stare at Olivia and Fernidia and wondered how you made such good friends." Azalea sobbed.

Rapunzel started crying harder. "You just have to be good at heart, Azal."

Azalea wailed. "And I'm not! My hindsight has never been so sharp until I walked back in here."

"You're seeing all of your decisions, the good and bad ones?" Rapunzel guessed.

Azalea nodded rapidly. Rapunzel wouldn't like this next bit of news. "And. . .And I've come to the conclusion that when I die the third time, I'm not fighting it."

"What? What do you mean the _third_ time?" Rapunzel stood up and gazed at her, her cheeks tear-stained. "You didn't just say that!"

"I'm not fighting dying anymore. All this bringing me back, I'm not having it. I'm meant to die when I die. Who knows, if I had died when Jacob tried to kill me, he would have left you all alone."

An idea struck Azalea and she stood up.

_He would have left them all alone if it wasn't for me._

"What makes you say that? You can't just-"

Rapunzel went very still when Azalea grabbed the pitchfork.

Azalea looked at Rapunzel and then put the pitchfork down. Rapunzel sucked in a breath and then glared at Azalea. "What the hell were you going to do with _that_?"

"Nothing." Azalea sighed. She couldn't do it.

"You weren't about to. . ." Rapunzel blinked, and her emerald eyes began to boil with fury.

Someone knocked on the closed stall door. Rapunzel opened it with her hand, still facing Azalea. Alex walked in and looked at the two of them.

"Something the matter?" He saw their tense posture.

"You need to talk to her." Rapunzel flung the words over her shoulder, pushing past Alex. Azalea watched her go, feeling dismayed. She'd have to apologize.

Alex looked at Rapunzel leaving, and then at Azalea. She shrugged, trying to be nonchalant about it but she really felt hurt. She had let Rapunzel down. Alex gestured for her to walk with him, and they began to walk back to the palace with slow steps.

She had never really realized what she was missing until that moment when Alex stepped beside her. He put his hand on her left shoulder, pulling her to him. The action was unfamiliar, but for a moment, her mother wasn't gone. She actually had solid ground to walk on now. She had a father. He was here. He loved her and she loved him.

It was such a perfect bond.

If Ava had lived and Azalea had talked to Matthew, she and he would have had the bond that Azalea was now experiencing. They. . . They might have even been happy.

It didn't really matter how Ava came to be. If she had a father to be there for her, couldn't Azalea forgive Matthew? If he promised to be there for Ava, if not for the both of them, surely everything would be set to right? But then Nathan-

What would have happened? Nathan was her fiancé now and Ava wasn't here. What if Ava was? What would Nathan be to Ava? What would Nathan be to Azalea, knowing that Matthew was really Ava's father? Would she have wanted Nathan to stay? Where would Matthew be?

"You look like you're thinking about something." Her father's voice made her look up.

"Sorry." Azalea then realized how unfamiliar the bond was. What could she say?

"It's all right. I like to see my fighter thinking." Her Father smiled. Azalea gazed at him, smiling hesitantly.

"I'm glad Maximus is feeling better." Azalea looked at the woods around them. They were still nowhere near the palace but it was fine.

"I'm glad too. Maximus would probably kick himself for being so startled."

"I would think."

Alex ruffled her hair, drawing away. They walked side by side. Azalea looked at the cloudy sky, and tugged down her lace sleeves.

"Did you ever figure out how my hair turned blond?" Azalea asked. She was still drawn to how her hair had changed color and why it stayed blond.

Alex shook his head. "I never knew. But I have a hunch."

"What do you think happened?"

"I had seen you the day before. Your hair was dark then. It was right after the princess had been missing for a few months. Your mother had asked me to stay the night with you and Marvin. Why, I didn't know. She came back that morning, and I took off then. I had an early shift at the prisons. I came back the day after and your hair was gold." Alex smiled. "Mind you, I actually liked it."

Azalea laughed. "I thought your mother had blond hair."

"She did. You have her eyes, I think." Alex said. "Your mother's eyes were almost as brown as mine so you couldn't have gotten them from me."

On the topic of her Mother, Azalea went quiet. Alex looked at her. "She loved you, Azalea."

"I like to think so."

"What, you don't think she did?"

"Why else would she be with Rapunzel ever since she stole her?"

"Her priorities weren't right but she adored you." Alex said firmly.

Azalea looked at him. "Her priorities weren't right? Is that another way of saying she didn't want me?"

Alex drew in a shocked breath and Azalea took a step backward.

_No_.

"Azalea, wait." Alex fumbled. "Not at first-"

_No, no, no. He didn't correct me._

She turned her back on him, beginning to feel her heart crush itself. _He didn't correct me! He didn't correct me!_

Azalea started running, the hurt beginning to blossom throughout her body. Her Mother didn't want her? Not at first? Azalea felt the world blur as she ran, and her chest was heaving.

She stopped at the side of the palace, her vision blurry. She walked to the square, looking around. She sat down on a bench, wiping at her eyes, and tearing at her necklace. Her mother didn't want her. Her father had never announced his presence until recently. She had basically grown up parentless.

Someone sat down next to her and she looked at the man. His copper eyes gazed at her. "How was the rest of your birthday?" Matthew asked her.

She tried to smile. "It was great."

Matthew looked into her eyes, and for once, she didn't feel uneasy by being so close to him. She sighed. "It. . . It was great."

"Why do you look sad then?" Matthew sat back in the bench. Azalea looked at him, not sure what she should say.

"I'm just having a bit of a tough day." Azalea decided, and her eyes went to her necklace on the arm of the bench. First Rapunzel and now her father. _Great_, Azalea thought sarcastically.

Matthew sat up, his copper eyes beginning to shine. "Well, how about we have that drink? I finally tracked down a reliable babysitter for Rosalie. We'd be good for tonight."

Azalea smiled. She did drink too much sometimes, and wasn't afraid to admit it. With everything going on, she needed to relax. Maximus was still healing, and what had happened with Rapunzel and Alex. . .

She got off the bench.

"Sure. Let's go have a drink."


	117. Azalea's Last Chapter

Chapter One Hundred and Seventeen _Azalea's Point of View_

Azalea was stunned to see Jocelyn, Kent, and Oliver at the tavern. Kent grinned. "Hey, former birthday girl. How was it?"

"It was great." Azalea smiled. "I thought you would have left by now."

Kent frowned, his brown eyes sad. "You want us gone?"

Matthew started laughing, turning to Oliver. "What are you drinking?"

"Rum." Oliver smiled, holding up a cup.

Azalea gasped. She could finally try it?

"What?" Jocelyn asked, smiling warmly, her dark hair being played with by Kent.

Azalea smiled. "I've never had rum before."

Jocelyn turned to the bartender and asked for a cup. She handed it to Azalea. "Drink up then."

"Thank you," Azalea pulled out a gold coin, and Jocelyn shook her head.

"How about a birthday present from the three of us?" Kent said what Jocelyn seemed to be thinking. "Free drinks for the entire night."

"I'll be so drunk though." Azalea pouted. Kent's offer was sweet and Azalea hardly ever drank; she was never in enough pain to drink. Today was an exception and she would only to erase what made her eyes burn.

Oliver grinned. "All the more reason to." He handed Matthew a cup of rum and they toasted.

"Happy Belated Birthday!"

**Nathan's Point of View**

He was about to fall asleep.

"Nathan!" Anna kicked his chair and he flipped backward. He landed on his head.

"Damn it." Nathan sat up. "Ow." He rubbed his eyes, looking around the almost vacant library. His sister was standing over him, and more of his friends' faces joined hers in a circle. "What?" he rubbed the back of his head.

"Have you seen Azalea?" Liam crossed his arms.

"No." Nathan stood up. He put his chair back on its legs and rubbed his head. "Damn, Anna." He looked at Anna-Beth timidly. "Who the hell taught you to be so . . . Mean?"

Anna grinned. "My lovely fiancé."

"Dwayne, don't you have something better to do? Like. . . Teach her to be nice?"

"Who says I'm not nice?" Anna scowled, crossing her arms.

"You just knocked me over in my chair."

Dwayne started laughing but everyone else was otherwise very serious. "Azalea's been gone since noon."

"She was with Rapunzel to check on. . ." Nathan trailed off when Rapunzel waved from where she was standing. "Who was she with last?"

"Alex." David said. Nathan spotted Alex at the back of the crowd.

Alex shrugged when everyone turned to him. "I'm sure she's fine."

"It's twilight now." Eugene pointed out.

Nathan's head jerked to the windows. He had been reading the same page for hours? He sighed. "She'll show up when she wants to. She's not a child, she can take care of herself."

"See?" Alex nudged Liam. "She's fine."

"Then why the hell did I find this on a bench?" Liam asked, holding up a necklace. Rapunzel and Nathan gasped when they saw it. Why would Azalea take it off?

"Maybe she took it off and forgot it?" Candace offered.

Liam handed it to Nathan, who tucked it in his pocket. He felt less unsure about Azalea. "She'll show up when she wants to. Go on to sleep."

They all exchanged glances, and Nathan saw that they were all unsure. Very unsure. Alex couldn't even meet Nathan's eyes.

_Azalea's Point of View_

"Jocelyn, get off of that table!" She called. Jocelyn rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"No! They like it." Jocelyn pointed to the crowd that surrounded Jocelyn's table. She looked at Azalea and wiggled a finger. "Come join me."

"You're serious?" Azalea couldn't believe it.

Jocelyn's hips swayed to a jauntily beat that the men were making from thumping their feet on the floor. Her dark brown eyes were glowing. They were drunk. Too drunk. _I need to drink rum instead of whiskey next time._ Azalea told herself. She knew more pain was coming. More anguish.

Jocelyn winked.

"Come on up."

* * *

><p>Jocelyn and Azalea danced for what felt like hours. Somehow, the tables were lined up in a path, and Azalea strutted from one side of the room to the other. Jocelyn was grinning, swaying on her feet. She yanked her bodice laces open and the crowd started yelling. Azalea doubled over laughing.<p>

Azalea stood up and went to Jocelyn, holding a shot of vodka. Azalea downed the shot and she sighed blissfully when the vodka began to burn, erasing Alec's words. She tried to tie Jocelyn's bodice laces back together. Jocelyn tugged Azalea's laces open and Azalea dropped her shot glass.

"Oh, no!" Azalea started laughing. She reached for it, and the crowd started yelling more. Kent smiled and handed it to Azalea, being careful to look at Azalea's face.

Oliver poured more vodka, going around the room like a bartender. Matthew got her a bigger glass, and Azalea could barely walk straight now. Jocelyn nearly toppled off the table, and Azalea swooped down to grab her arm. She tugged Jocelyn back to her feet, and noticed how high Jocelyn's dress was riding up on her legs.

"You. . . Need. . . To change." Azalea slurred, gesturing to the dress.

Jocelyn met her eyes when she ripped it off. Azalea gasped to see Jocelyn wearing lace shorts and a shirt that was a little too small. "How did you _do _that?"

Jocelyn grinned, and everyone got louder –in protests- when Jocelyn pulled Azalea off the table. She dragged Azalea to the washroom, and then Jocelyn was handing her something red to put on. Azalea tugged off her dress and put on the shorts and shirt. It squeezed her a little too much but otherwise it was fine. She had been growing hot in her gown anyways.

"What is this?" She asked Jocelyn.

"We. . .Have spare performing. . . Outfits. You like it?"

Azalea grinned drunkenly and nodded.

"Keep it."

Azalea looked at Jocelyn's shoes. "Those too?"

"No. We drink in these. It's popular. . . . in Ladron." Jocelyn handed her red heels. "Put them on. I'll show. . . you what the . . . Waitresses do."

Azalea tugged them on, barely able to walk. She started laughing and shuffled out of the room after Jocelyn. Jocelyn got back up on the table, and everyone started clapping when they saw them return.

**Nathan's Point of View**

He was surprised when he walked into the Dining Hall at midnight to see everyone except Rapunzel and Anna inside. Dwayne and Liam were talking in hushed tones, and they all blinked up at Nathan when he opened the door.

"She's still not back." Candace said worriedly.

Anna looked at Candace. "Should you be up?"

Candace shrugged. "I'll go to bed at dawn."

"But it'll be hours until then."

"I just want to be here when she comes back." Candace said firmly, and Anna went quiet.

Everyone looked at Nathan, and he looked down, looking at his hands with green eyes. He was silent, and after a pause, everyone else went silent as well.

They waited.

_Azalea's Point of View_

Kent helped her off the table. She felt Oliver place her in a seat. She turned to them. "What's wrong?"

"That, my lovely girl, is enough dancing." Oliver handed her a cup of water.

"Jocelyn taught me. I thought they liked it." The water helped sober her up.

"I know." Kent managed to smile. "If you haven't noticed, all of the men left."

"Where did they go?" Jocelyn fell on a chair next to Azalea, looking flushed.

"You made two them aware that they had wives." Oliver smiled. Kent kissed Jocelyn's cheek, looking around. "I'm sure they'll be back."

Azalea looked around. "Where's Matthew?"

"Right here." Matthew walked from down the hall with Alec in tow. Where had he come from?

Azalea met Alec's eyes and didn't feel any fear or unease. She smiled instead. "Did you see us dancing?"

Jocelyn smiled. "We looked amazing."

"I really did like the moves." Alec looked at the two of them. "The hip swaying was too much."

"That's what Ladron waitresses at taverns did sometimes." Jocelyn said, almost defensive. "You should see them. They're actually good at it."

Alec took his place behind the bar. "That's hard to imagine. What will it be?"

Oliver and Kent looked at Azalea. She looked around in thought. What had she not drunk? "Whiskey would be fine."

"Really? You've had corona, rum, two martinis, vodka, and tequila." Matthew smiled.

"The corona was amazing." Jocelyn hiccupped.

Azalea nodded. "I thought it was good. Kent, did you like it?"

"It was one of my better drinks."

"Ollie?"

"Ollie?" Oliver started laughing. "Maybe you shouldn't drink anymore."

"But it's for her birthday, Ollie." Jocelyn said, sipping the whiskey Alec brought her.

* * *

><p>Oliver, Kent, and Jocelyn cooled down a little when all the men came back. Azalea kept drinking, not really feeling anything now. Just the alcohol flowing . . .<p>

Azalea smiled drunkenly when the man pulled her away from Alec. He had sat down beside her and she couldn't even remember what they were talking about.

She was turned to see Eugene's warm brown eyes and was startled when she felt lips against hers.

"Do you need me to walk you home?" Eugene asked her, but his voice was wrong. _Wait._ His eyes were copper. _Hm._

Alec chirped from behind them. "It looks like you won't even make it."

Eugene smiled. "We will, don't worry. Hey, Azal, want another whiskey?"

Azalea smiled dizzily. "Aren't I drunk enough?" Was she even sitting down?

Eugene smiled and leaned in to whisper in her ear. "If you can still see straight, you're not drunk."

Then he looked over at the bartender serving them.

"Give her another one."

* * *

><p>When she finally stopped drinking, she felt very sick. "I drank way too much." She laid down on the washroom floor. "<em>Way<em> too much. Oh, man, Matthew, I'm going to be such a mess in the morning."

Matthew helped her off the floor. "Do you think you could make it home?"

"_No_," Azalea moaned. She couldn't really see anything.

"Come on. I'll carry you." She was suddenly in Matthew's arms.

On the way out of the tavern, Azalea spotted Jocelyn and Kent sitting at a booth. They didn't look very sober but she called to them.

"Thanks for the night!"

Jocelyn waved. "Bye, Azal! Anytime, m'kay?"

"M'kay."

"Take it easy!" Kent called. Oliver held the door open and he nodded at Matthew.

Matthew walked slowly, letting the cold air hit her face. It had rained during the night and Azalea felt her mind clear a little with each step. Matthew unlocked the door to his house. She struggled out of his arms, and Matthew set her to the floor.

He gazed into her eyes, almost sad. "Sober now?"

Azalea nodded, feeling a little woozy, but she was better now. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Matthew blinked. "I ran into Michael today. Here." He went to the kitchen, and Azalea saw a circular pan of tin sitting on the counter. Matthew handed it to her, smiling. "It's one of the first, or so he told me."

"He made me an apple pie?" Azalea smiled. "Aw. I'll have to thank him." And apologize to Rapunzel and not talk to her father for weeks.

Matthew smiled when she set it on the table. She looked at Matthew, and remembered what she had thought about that morning. Matthew looked at her, and then he blinked. "I, um. . . William suggested me to burn some herbs. Can you smell it?"

Azalea stood but barely able to stay on her feet. Apparently, her sense of balance hadn't really returned. "I just need to sit down a min. . . Minute, and then I'll go. M'kay?"

She wanted to sit back down.

Matthew smiled. "All right." He frowned then. "You're slurring again."

A strange smell filled the air. It reminded her of cinnamon, and something pungent. "What's . . . In the . . .Fireplace?"

Matthew looked at her as her knees started to buckle. "Valerian and cinnamon bark."

"Why are you . . . burning . . . valerian?" She slurred. She had forgotten Alec's words several whiskeys ago. _Why_ had she gotten so drunk? The scent in the air, the valerian burning, wasn't helping.

"It makes you feel dizzy, doesn't it?" Matthew asked. He came up behind her and put his hand on her shoulder as if he was trying to hold her up. She started to sway on her feet and realized that Matthew was right. It was making her dizzy. Very dizzy. It was almost like she was inhaling the herbs from the cloth-

"Damn." She mumbled incoherently.

She felt her body tip forward and her eyes closed.

* * *

><p>She opened her eyes, disoriented. "Ooh, light. Ow. . ." A lantern shone brightly in her face. She shielded her eyes. "Light. . . Wait, it's. . . I don't even know what time it is."<p>

"Are you okay?" Matthew asked, and she realized that he was holding the lantern. He helped her to her feet and she nearly fell back down again.

"I'm all right, I think." She struggled to remember the night. "Who made you burn. . . Oh, it doesn't matter."

Matthew helped her sit down on a chair. He gazed into her eyes, and she couldn't read the emotion in his. "Are you sad?" She asked. He seemed almost moody.

Matthew shook his head, frustrated. "No. I'm angry. Why the hell would William ask me to burn valerian when it'd make you faint?"

"What? He asked you to burn it for me?"

"No. I just figured you were at my home so maybe you could tell me how it smelled. I thought it would be something like that. Never mind that as soon as you inhaled it, you fainted."

"Did you faint as well?"

"Well, I woke up on the floor so I assume I did."

Azalea groaned and put her head in her hands.

"You've got a hangover?"

"Oh, it's the worst one yet." Azalea tried to smile. "But I have never had such fun in one night."

Matthew smiled from where he was across from her. "Good to hear."

Azalea accepted a cup of green tea from him when the kettle boiled. He looked around, at the sky. "It's about dawn now. In a few hours, I'll be able to get Rosalie."

"How do you know that's her name?" Azalea asked, her head pounding.

"I found her by a man who didn't look like the father at all. I had gone to Ladron a little bit before, just to check it out. I hear about it so much now. Anyways, I found her by that man. He was actually talking in his sleep about someone named Terra. And then he said the name Rosalie. So I listened for a little bit, and he said he thought he had Rosalie. So the name stayed." Matthew said.

Azalea felt her mind try to process something, but thinking for long periods of time hurt her head. "It's a pretty name."

Matthew nodded, looking at the rosy pink sky through the windows.

"I'm going to go on home, all right?" Azalea stood up.

"Not too shaky?"

She shook her head, smiling kindly. "I'm more tired than anything." She pecked his temple. "Thank you for the night out. I had fun."

"I'm glad. Your dancing was pretty good."

Azalea laughed when she opened the door. "So I've been told." She bid him 'goodbye' and closed the door behind herself.

Though it was only dawn, seeing lanterns right above the doors of cottages made Azalea's eyes hurt. She rubbed her temples, not reprimanding herself for last night. She had emptied her mind of stress.

Now all she needed to do was to not make a habit of it.

_Rapunzel's Point of View_

I peeked in on Nathan. He had stayed up waiting all night. He and Sage; though I found that Sage had fallen asleep. It was just before dawn now and everyone had gone off to bed. I felt David and Candace behind me and we soon all filled our usual table.

Sarah shook Sage awake, ready to carry him to his bed. "Did she come by?"

"No," Nathan said, looking exhausted. "Maybe she stayed the night at her house. But why wouldn't she tell anyone first?"

"That might be my fault." Alex said, looking sleepy-eyed. Had he stayed up looking for her?

"Discuss it later. We need to go look for her." Fernidia said. Olivia and Guy weren't back yet.

"I'll go with you," Dwayne said immediately. Sage started looking around, and Dwayne told him, "Anna and Ian are still asleep."

Sage looked at Candace, sleep still in his blue-gray irises. "Why aren't you in bed, Ace?"

She smiled. "Not tired, Sage."

Dwayne and Nathan went off to find Azalea and I waited for them to return.

**Nathan's Point of View**

Dwayne knocked on Azalea's door. "Azalea?"

They waited for a response and Dwayne knocked again.

Then the door opened.

Azalea stood in the threshold, looking like she had just been woken up. Her eyes were bloodshot and her pupils were tiny. She blinked at the sky and put one hand to her temple.

"Where have you been?" Nathan was ecstatic to see her but she hadn't even come back to the palace last night. It tempered the relief.

Azalea looked at them, groggy. "Matthew and I went drinking. We found Kent, Jocelyn, and Oliver. They gave me a night of free drinks as a late birthday present."

"But you're okay?" Nathan asked.

Azalea nodded, and then Dwayne spoke. "Did they leave?"

"Mh-hm. I went home after stopping at Matthew's place." Her eyes abruptly shone with an unreadable emotion. She was hiding something.

"Is everything okay?" She asked. "I should have told one of you but I got caught up in the night."

Nathan nodded. "Everything's. . . Fine. Will we see you later?"

"You should." Azalea said softly. "I'm just planning on sleeping in the whole day, but I'll be up around noon."

Dwayne nodded, but his gray eyes were foggy. "All right. See you later."

Azalea closed the door, and Nathan turned to Dwayne.

"I heard what Alex said. I wonder if that has anything to do with it."

"He probably hurt her feelings being sharp." Dwayne said, but he didn't seem to believe his own words. "You know how Alex is. By tomorrow, this should all blow over."

_Rapunzel's Point of View_

I sighed, and then the Dining Hall door was being opened. I jumped up, but then sat back down. My parents were just walking in. My mother looked at us all sitting down and blinked. "What's the matter?"

"Azalea went a little missing but Dwayne and Nat went to find her." Liam said, chewing on toast.

The door opened again, and it was Nathan and Dwayne. Dwayne walked in and then I looked at him. I blinked down at Flynn and then I was somewhere else.

I felt my hand grab the wooden leg of a chair and then I aimed it at Dwayne. It missed him by inches and I tried to duck when silver hurtled itself at me. A knife found its way in my shoulder, and then-

"Rapunzel, you're squeezing him!" Anna shook me. I jumped and relaxed my grip. I realized that my chest was heaving and I inhaled slowly.

"Sorry, Flynn." I cooed to him. He gazed up at me and blinked.

"What happened?" Adam asked and then I looked at his younger brother.

"I think Azalea just let me in."

Michael smiled while everyone else looked clueless. "Oh, yeah?"

"Mh-hm." I frowned. Michael gazed at me, daunted by the darkness on my face.

"What is it?"

"I. . . I think she's being attacked."

_Azalea's Point of View_

She wrote things down absently on a piece of paper.

'_Sell the house if you and Nathan aren't going to use it.'_

_ 'Apologize to Rapunzel.'_

_ 'Tell Michael the pie tasted amazing.'_

_ 'Ask him to teach you how to make the pie.'_

_ 'Figure out what to do for your one day.'_ Azalea stopped to think._ Maybe break a few windows._ Azalea started thinking differently_. Or. . . Ooh wait. A free buffet._

She frowned when she thought of other things.

'_Ask Maya what she put in the bun and then put it in her food.'_

_ 'Take Sage to the gardens'_ Azalea finished writing and thought,_ So he can see what all the fuss is about._

Azalea sleepily sighed, her body folding over the table. She had fallen asleep right after Dwayne and Nathan had left and had woken up because she heard a thud in one of the empty rooms. She checked every room in the house and found nothing.

She got up to wipe her face in the washroom, still feeling sick. She had closed all the curtains as well and her eyes were still hurting. She felt sluggish and reminded herself to never drink so much rum again.

She left the washroom and then heard that sound again. Something fell.

Azalea turned around and gasped. _Oh,_ _holy hell._

Crashes.

Glints of silver in her vision, missing her by inches.

"Years of training and I still miss." He complained lightly.

She ran to the door, her hand going to the knob. She was yanked back by her hair.

She hit the floor, landing hard on her back.

It was happening all over again. A third time.

The air left her body, but she tried to keep moving.

She grabbed the leg of a chair and threw it blindly.

She missed.

The table was the only thing between them.

Silver flashed in her vision. Metal stabbed into her shoulder and she flinched.

"One, two, three." Matthew and Alec's murmurs sounded over the pounding of her heart.

She didn't have enough air to scream when the knife pierced her skin.

She tugged the knife out of her shoulder, not comprehending the crimson that flooded out onto her dress. Onto the floor.

She fell to her knees, wheezing in pain and anxiety. Another one. She couldn't have a panic attack now.

She had to get up but she could hardly move.

In and out. _There's no air! Where did all the air go?_

She could feel herself begin to panic and tried to harden her frayed nerves.

_Thuds_. The table was flipped over.

The door was in sight again.

But she was pinned to the wall now.

_ Don't panic, don't panic._ Azalea couldn't breathe.

He almost smiled, drops of crimson on his face. It pulsed down Azalea's shoulder and onto the floor. Her hands were slippery with it and she couldn't push him away.

"Still a wildcat, hm?" He murmured to her.

Glass breaking across her head.

Azalea doubled over, now in too much pain to scream.

Crimson landed on the floor, pooling up.

She was bleeding badly and now she couldn't really see.

Desperate, she woozily clawed at the floor, agony flaring with each movement. If only she could crawl to the door-

She was pulled to her shaking feet. She met his dark gray eyes and wondered her last thought. _Why he isn't with Anna?_

Hands on her neck, squeezing.

Day melted into night; everything went dark.


	118. Nathan's Sky Falls

Chapter One Hundred and Eighteen **Nathan's Point of View**

He followed Guy to Azalea's house, confused and tired. It had been raining for the past few hours, so they had to wait. Nathan had nearly gone by himself but something in Dwayne's face told him to wait. Now, he was glad to be moving. He had slept through the storm but dreamed of trying to leave a familiar house.

Alex and Rapunzel looked visibly upset as they followed Guy and David through the rain. Nathan's hand felt for the necklace in his pocket, and he exhaled a breath that he hadn't realized that he was holding. The necklace was still there.

Guy turned the knob on the door and found that it was locked. He looked at Eugene, who held a curtain-covered Anora in his arms. "Can you pick the lock?"

Eugene's worried eyes glowed for a second. "Am I getting permission?"

"Yes, Eugene. Open it."

Eugene handed Anora to Liam, who tried to relax his tense face when the infant was in his arms. Eugene took out a tiny silver piece of metal from one of his vest pockets; Rapunzel gave him a look that nearly made Nathan smile. He put it into door and twisted it. Nathan heard a faint click, and then Eugene opened the door. Liam handed him Anora, and sighed. "Candace is finally asleep?"

David nodded and Guy stepped into the house. He lit a match to the lantern he held and then the rain seemed to stop. Everyone crowded into the house and the clouds broke, giving them light.

Nathan staggered backwards, sickened by the sight he saw. Rapunzel put her hand to her mouth, turning pale. Anna and Sarah gasped and fled to the washroom. Liam looked around, horrified.

Furniture was toppled over and knives laid on the floor. Pools of crimson were on the floor and Nathan found his stomach churning.

"Something happened." Anna came back in, looking unsteady. Dwayne caught her in a hug, his dark gray eyes far away. Anna burst into tears and Nathan felt his composure beginning to crumble.

"She was hurt. . . Badly." Guy pointed to the blood pools on the floor. Nathan sucked in a choked breath. He saw a glint of gold in one of the pools. He moved over to it, bending down to grab the gold. He held it up and everyone gasped when they saw it.

Her engagement ring.

"Who could have done this?" Fernidia was dazed. She sunk onto a clean spot on the floor, her hands going to her eyes. She had asked the horrible question everyone was thinking. She had enough to courage to ask it.

"The same man who nearly killed her."

Nathan looked at Dwayne and Guy as they began to run their practiced eyes over the house. Rapunzel looked around and then her eyes looked far away.

"Rapunzel," Michael looked at her, looking ill at ease. "What's wrong?"

"I saw it happening." Rapunzel's emerald eyes were filling with tears. "She was trying to get away . . . but he. . . he was too fast, and she was panicking." Rapunzel's voice shook. "She couldn't breathe, and then his hands. . ."

Rapunzel put her hands to her neck and Nathan broke down.

He clutched her ring in his hand and everyone became blurs. He staggered to her room and uncovered the painting. He gazed at it, remembering. . .

How they rolled around on the daisies. How her kisses felt against his skin. How soft she was in his arms. The way her perfume seemed to smell sweeter than the flowers themselves. How her greenish gray eyes sparkled as they gazed at his.

The small smile on her face as she slept, orange petals decorating her dress and face. His hand on her soft face, reaching for the orange daisy that seemed to dream on her pale sun gold locks.

The glow in her eyes when she looked at the baby clothes in the basket. How her pretty eyes seemed to gaze at his. How they seemed to tell him that she loved him even though she wouldn't say it herself. Sometimes she wouldn't have to. The look in her eyes was enough.

Her scream when Maximus knocked into the house. How fast he had gotten up, with the thought of Azalea on his mind. Maximus had been okay and was not a threat. Azalea was perfectly fine and wasn't injured. How she looked at him, and her eyes shone with relief. He had been her safe haven and she had been his world.

How many times had she screamed, trying to get away? How many times did she try to draw air into her lungs when there wasn't any air in the room? What were her last thoughts?

"Nathan, stop!" Anna wailed. He fell to his knees, looking around the room but unable to see.

"She's dead, Anna. She's. . . Gone." Nathan moaned his next words. "Again. A third time."

"What do they say about threes?" Azalea had asked him, her face sleepy though her eyes were wide awake.

Anna was sobbing, and she pulled him away. What had he been doing? He looked down at his bloody knuckles and then at the walls that now had holes in them. He was limp when his sister moved him. Everyone except Dwayne, Guy, and Liam were gone.

"Nathan. . ." Liam started, his blue-gray eyes gloomy. He looked at Nathan, and flinched when he met his gaze. He still spoke, "There might be a chance that she's alive."

"Alive?" Nathan hurled himself to his feet, fury making his eyes spark. "Look at the blood on the floor! The knives, Liam. She couldn't have."

Guy and Dwayne tried to back Liam up, but Nathan wasn't listening. He sank back against the wall, his head in his hands. His chest heaved-

"Just go, Liam." Anna snapped.

"Anna-"

"Just go!"

-and then he was alone. Only Anna stayed with him. She sat down beside him, her arm wrapped around him.

Her greenish gray eyes had been his sky. She was gone now, her eyes were closed. His sky was dark.

Or maybe it had just fallen.


	119. Epilogue: A Walk to Remember

Epilogue: A Walk to Remember

I watched Anna and Nathan when they came to the Dining Hall. I could hardly stomach anything.

Everyone, who had been talking in hushed tones, looked up at Nathan. He didn't look at anyone, and just sat down at his spot. He put his hand in his dark blue vest and pulled out a ring.

Meeting everyone's eyes, he set the ring down where Azalea's plate would have been. Candace burst into tears and left the room. Olivia and Guy looked teary-eyed and I realized how terrible this would be for them to return to. For everyone.

Alex looked heartbroken, and he sat down, looking at his untouched plate. Who could eat now anyway?

Liam tried again. "Nathan-"

Nathan flashed him a dark look and Liam went quiet. David looked at Nathan and then at everyone else around the room. "I know it looks bad, but there's a chance that she's still living."

Anna looked at David fiercely. "You better be glad you have a wife, David."

David threw his hands up. "Why does it seem so impossible? We all know how fierce Azalea is. She wouldn't have gone down without a fight."

"She didn't go down sleeping, David!" I glared at him. "Of course she fought back."

"All the walks we took," Nathan said softly, and we went silent, listening to his voice. His voice didn't even sound like him. He was a broken, hollow shell. "They're just walks to remember now."

I remembered the last one I took with her, to check on Maximus. I saw my mother dab at her eyes and then sighed sadly.

_They are just walks to remember._

_Azalea's Point of View_

"Well, look who's awake." Someone said.

Azalea moaned, her head aching fiercely. She sat up, her dress wet and sticky. Where was she? She looked around, barely about to see. Her lungs felt empty but as she inhaled, her nose and throat didn't seem to be working.

"Where am I?" She managed to push past her lips.

"You," someone placed their hand on her belly and she froze up. She tried to move away but realized that she was frozen still. "You are at our home in Corona."

So far, that actually made sense.

"Your mother named you Avalyn and you don't remember anything from the last year of your life except birthdays and birthdays."

Azalea blinked and slowly realized that in her mind, there was a dark room. She wasn't alone. Azalea turned in the dark room, hearing someone yawn, like someone awaking from a deep sleep.

Azalea's mind still felt slow from the hangover and the fight in her home. She blinked. _Avalyn?_

"And who are you?" Azalea struggled to say. She didn't doubt anything the man had said but who was _he_?

"I'm your husband, Fernando. Welcome to starting over."

"Starting over?" Azalea glimpsed a man with gray eyes crouched in front of her. _My husband_, she realized. _Where have I seen him somewhere?_

"Yes, dear. Azalea's dead. But you, Avalyn, are very much alive."

"Fernando, why is your hand on my stomach?" She felt her limp hand try to move his. In the dark room, Azalea tried to see who was with her, scared and confused.

"It's a sweet spot for mind games."

"Did I win? We did mind games a lot."

"Yup. You definitely won this one. Which isn't fair considering how I used to win."

"Why does my throat hurt?"

"You drank too much last night and it came up too fast."

That made sense. Her husband helped her off the floor and she staggered to sit down at a chair. The kitchen was somehow familiar but then she remembered that she lived here.

As Fernando made her some tea, she gazed at her right hand. Something was missing. . .

"Where's my wedding ring?"

"You must have lost it at the tavern last night."

"You're not mad?" She gazed at him, a little afraid. What sort of wife was she when she lost her engage- wedding ring?

"No." Fernando handed her a cup of tea. "Why be mad? I'll just buy you one that's more special."

"What's more special than a wedding ring?"

"An engagement ring."

"Right," Azalea rolled her eyes and Fernando looked at her, serious for a moment, before smiling.

"Want to go on a walk?"

"We walk a lot?" Azalea asked, sipping her tea. It tasted sweet.

Fernando smiled. "We walk so much it's hard to remember where we go."

She looked down at her sweet tea. "Can I bring this?"

"Sure. Just try not to trip, it's good for your eyes but not with your balance."

"I'm not too clumsy." She eyed him, and then smiled. Fernando was way too serious. She went to the washroom and looked at her hair.

Strange.

She ran her fingers through it, confused by the little bit of what seemed like ink on her hands. She shrugged. She just needed to wash her hair.

She peeked at herself in the mirror.

For a second, she could picture herself with blond hair. She shook her head at herself. From what she could recall, she had always had midnight black hair.

Azalea gasped in the dark room, seeing someone stand up in front of her. The head was covered in blond hair, and when the figure looked up at Azalea, Azalea went cold, seeing her reflection staring back at her.

She gazed at the dark strands, and then shook her head at herself. She was keeping him waiting.

Azalea walked out of the washroom, and saw Fernando holding the door open. She pecked his cheek. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He smiled a little hesitantly.

Azalea watched as her reflection changed. Ink covered her hair, chasing away the blond, and her eyes changed from greenish gray to gray like Jacob's, shades lighter than his hue.

She followed him out of the house and a path that took them up the waterfall. She glimpsed a tall tower in the distance, and looked at him.

"We don't live at the house?" She asked.

Fernando caught her gaze. "No. We live in the tower."

_Then why were we there?_

She followed him in the entrance, and looked around. Had she been here before?

"We walk so much it's hard to remember where we go." Fernando had reassured her.

There it was. She probably had been here before, and just forgot.


	120. Brief Note

A/N: 

Hey guys.

There's a sequel out, in case some of you are waiting for _Tangled for a Flower_ to be updated.

It's not going to be. :)

The sequel is called **Caught in a Dream** and it's already up.

Go and start reading.

* * *

><p><span>I'm going to put my favorite moments up in case you wanted something to read.<span>

(By the way, since I've given you guys music to listen to for some chapters, I'm going to list it in **Caught in a Dream** at some point. The music isn't mine, but I'll name it because that's how I like to roll.

But thank you for reading _Tangled for a Flower_. I loved updating it for a year and a half.

Now we have another fanfic to enjoy :D

**Bold indicates favorite sentences/phrases/all that jazz. **Enjoy!

* * *

><p><span>Favorite Moments: The Funnies and Meaningfuls<span>

She suddenly thought back to her vision of-

"Nathan, what would you do if I were to die?"

Nathan frowned, and his hand holding hers chilled noticeably. "If you were to die, I'd. . . You know, follow suit."

* * *

><p>Azalea moved away from him and grabbed his hand. His free hand stroked her cheek. "They hit you, Nathan. I'm sorry."<p>

"That's what I get for falling in love with the most beautiful girl in the world." He kissed her nose. "**If it happens every day, and I still get to have you just like this, I'd take it anyway**, doll."

* * *

><p>"Do you want me to sneak you away, doll?" Nathan asked. His eyes were warm. "I could do it, you know."<p>

"No, no," she said. "I deserve this."

* * *

><p>"Rapunzel, stop!" I whirled around the best I could, and stood face-to-face with Guy.<p>

He had several guards behind him, and I could see that they held Nathan and Dwayne by their hands behind their backs. Guy looked at me, and then Azalea. "Get her." He pointed at Azalea.

I protested and dove in front of Azalea with my arms out. **"Come near her, and I'll run." Guy knew my clumsiness.**

**Guy and the guards froze.**

* * *

><p>"I was never very likeable." Dwayne said. He glanced at Azalea. "<strong>Except to some<strong>."

* * *

><p>He grabbed her hand again, and then, once again, they were spinning.<p>

"We're going to fall," Azalea breathed into his ear whenever he got close.

To that, he replied, "At least we'll fall together."

Azalea put her face in the crook of his shoulder, holding her breath. "Nat?"

The world around them was quiet, and when she glanced at the town, she could see many golden lights on. Small fireflies reached out for them, but stayed at the lake shore. Strange white fireflies that looked like more snow flurries falling were bold enough to surround them. Some landed on their skin, but just sat there.

However, their erratic spins made them buzz away, only to come back and hover nearby.

"Yes, doll?" Nathan was warm.

Azalea was whispering as if the fireflies around them could hear. **"How did I find you?"**

**Nathan smiled and chuckled for a moment. He pulled away, and she could only stare at him. His black hair was messily framing his face, and some strands were glowing a brilliant white. His eyes were made dark green by the shadow casted on his face.**

**His answer was sweet and she didn't feel the guilt anymore. Instead, her heart welcomed the warmth it brought. The guilt was suddenly never in her heart. It had almost seemed like since she had posed as Rapunzel, her life had instantly improved. She was happy now, content with everything.**

**She couldn't think of anything bad. She couldn't worry about the trial being in a few weeks. She couldn't worry about Jacob still being on the prowl. She didn't worry about Michael and the clouds in his eyes that had never gone away.**

**Nathan made her feel that way. Nathan made her feel safe. Nathan was here for her every day.**

**His words soothed the ache in her heart.**

**"You became a Princess."**

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry." Azalea heaved herself to her feet and kissed Nathan's lips. "<strong>Are we still going to glide<strong>?" Maybe he had had enough for one night?

"**Yup**," Nathan grabbed her hand again. He clutched it tight. "Sorry, doll. **You're not getting out of this**."

* * *

><p>"Eugene?" I poked him. It was becoming harder to sleep. One of the babies nudged my hand and I poked it back. "Eugene?" It was dark in the room.<p>

**"I love cupcakes, Blondie." Eugene rolled over. "Cookies too? Aw."**

**I giggled quietly and climbed off of the bed. **I could go check on Azalea and Nathan.

**"You spoil me, Blondie. C'mere. I have to tell you something."**

I went to the door, and turned the knob.

**"Hi."**

I burst out laughing, and closed the door behind me.

* * *

><p>Eugene chuckled. "Are you tired?"<p>

"No way; we've got to figure out other names." I wasn't ready to sleep yet, though my body protested. "What about if they're both boys or both girls?"

For boy names, we settled on Felix and Pascal. For girl names, we settled on Sunni and Maxine.

Eugene grabbed a book off on the shelves. He sat down next to me, and put his arm around my shoulder. I opened the cover, and turned the page. Eugene kissed my cheek. I saw a rattle on the cover and the name surprised me.

**"This is a book for baby names."**

**"Want to name babies after cupcakes?"**

"Frosted Heaven?" I giggled.

"Or Sunny Dreams." Eugene stared at me, evaluating my reaction to his names. "Too cliché?"

"I like Sunny." I held his hand tighter in mine, waiting for kicks. Didn't babies kicked if they liked the name?

"I thought of it after the sun flower mishap." Eugene explained, blushing. I brushed his dark brown hair from his hazel eyes, a pleasant smile still on my face. The days after the Ball had been hectic.

"S-U-N-N-Y, right?"

"Nope. S-U-N-N-_I_-." Eugene looked pleased with himself. "What about a boy name?"

"I thought of Felix." I felt a tiny kick. "F for Flynn, E for Eugene, L for love. And I because he's going to have integrity, and X for forever letting me hug him." I had thought of the reasons right before I had fallen asleep. "Because when people hug, their arms make Xs." Eugene nodded at my flawed logic, smirking.

"Forever receiving hugs?" Eugene hugged me and poked my stomach. "Felix, do you like that?"

One of the babies nudged his hand. Eugene's pretty hazel eyes lit up. "Felix it is."

"Sunni likes her name too." I kissed his nose. "She's tired right now."

* * *

><p><strong>"Let's go find a book."<strong>

**"A book?"** I was tired from fanning Azalea until Fernidia had tracked down her younger sister.

**"I've got to read to them."** Eugene led the way to the library.** "What shall it be?"**

**"I like reading books about how to make things."** I was smiling. **"I want them to grow up knowing how to make cookies."**

**"_The Adventures of David's Mind_ it is then."**

* * *

><p>Azalea put her fingers to her neck, staring at Dwayne and Eugene who were watching her with worried expressions. "Dwayne, don't let her put more cold stuff on my neck! It's hot."<p>

"The cold stuff will cool you off." Eugene explained, trying hard not to smirk. It was a good thing I wasn't the only one who found her amusing.

Azalea paused in thought, and her fevered eyes were bright, making her eyes almost appear green. "Olivia?"

Olivia was covering her fingertips with the herb ointment. **"What is it, Azal?"**

**"Is Eugene lying to me?"**

**"I'm glad you trust my opinion.**" Eugene grabbed my hand and tugged me out the room.

* * *

><p>"Punzie, <strong>why am I seeing you so much<strong>?" Azalea was sitting up, pushing Nathan's hand away that was offering a wet cloth to wipe her face. **"Not that I don't love you or anything."**

* * *

><p>"Of all the secrets I've had to keep, damn it, why give me this one?"<p>

"Dwayne, if your brother wasn't a bastard then this wouldn't have happened."

"No kidding," Dwayne stood up from the floor. "Anything I can do?"

"Pray for me."

"I don't know any Gods around here."

"Go find Azalea then."

Michael saw Dwayne smile.

* * *

><p>"Fold it in half, and put it in your mouth." Adam instructed. He showed them his card: a Seven of Spades. Fernidia folded her card, and placed it in her mouth. Adam did the same. "Now kiss me."<p>

Fernidia arched her eyebrows. "Come again?" What?

* * *

><p>"She was a beautiful one, Nat."<p>

Nathan put his head in his hands.

Anna stood up and sat down next to him in Liam's place. She laid her head on his shoulder and stroked his hair. Adam took his cue and left the room, quietly closing the door behind him.

"She was one of my best friends." Anna murmured.

"She was the love of my life." Nathan couldn't believe she was gone. Oh God, _what would he do without _her?

* * *

><p><strong>"-And then Nathan found out."<strong>

**Adam looked at Nathan and raised his eyebrows.** Nathan explained, blushing. **"They were in the living room holding hands and I nearly killed him. I thought he was a stranger."**

**"You didn't see me on top of him**?" Anna asked.

* * *

><p>I opened the door and found Nathan sitting up on the floor, his eyes glassy and vacant. "Nathan?"<p>

"What am I going to do?" Nathan demanded in a hoarse whisper.

Liam sat down next to him. "I know how you feel."

"Oh God, do you?" Nathan let Liam put his arm around his shoulder. "S-She was my world."

Liam nodded. "Sarah's my world, Nat."

"I just lost my only flower for my b-bouquet." Nathan's words were an arrow through my heart. "Damn, it's too much."

* * *

><p>Someone knocked on our door, waking us up.<p>

I opened it, and was stunned to see Nathan. His eyes were hollow and his hair was messy. Tears were flowing freely from his green eyes.

"What happened?" I went ice cold.

Nathan had to clutch the doorframe for support. The thunder rumbled harder, shaking the floor.

**"She couldn't stay with me. She has another man now."** Nathan's voice broke.

**"His name is God."**

* * *

><p><strong>"Go to sleep, Nat."<strong> Azalea kissed his nose. Nathan kissed her on the lips, and then frowned.

**"Fine." Nathan pretended to pout.** Azalea giggled at his sorrowful expression. Nathan rolled his eyes playfully, then glanced at the bed. He turned back to her, still pouting. She waved him to the bed, and he sighed.

Nathan walked to the bed, stumbled on his exhausted feet, and fell down. She blinked when his head came dangerously near the wooden supports of the bed. He groaned when he hit the floor. Azalea squeaked in surprise and bent over him. "Nathan? Are you okay?"

Nathan groaned again, and she turned him over. His eyes were closed, and he seemed to stop breathing.

"Nathan?" She shook him. Had he hit his head on the fall? If so, why did he stop breathing? What if he was dead? Her mouth formed an _o_ of horror at the thought.

Nathan blinked a green eye open and stared at her. "Azalea?" He mumbled, his voice hoarse.

"Are you okay?" Relief flooded through her. He was moving at least. "Did you hurt something?"

"My head," Nathan sat up, his hair ruffled, staring at her with those forest pools of his. "My head hurts."

Azalea sat on his lap, staring at his black flop of hair. She couldn't tell if he had hit his head hard enough to form a lump. Nathan bent his head down to kiss at the crook of her neck. Azalea stifled a surprised chirp; his sudden kisses distracted her for a moment.

"Hold still." Azalea said, trying to gather her thoughts. Nathan froze, his lips still on her neck, and she gently touched his head with two hands. She rubbed his head, combing her fingers through his hair, searching for lumps. To her surprise, there were none. "Nathan?"

"Mm?" Nathan put his arms around her back.

"Are you sure you hit your head?" Azalea tried not to squirm. Nathan rubbed her back with warm hands that she could feel through her nightgown.

"I'm sure I did; check the middle of my head." Nathan mumbled at her neck. She shivered, and then moved her hands around his head. She pushed her fingers in a little to feel for lumps more efficiently. Nathan sighed, and one of his hands went up to caress her hair.

Azalea then tried to remember how he fell. He hadn't hit the wooden supports, because even though she had blinked, she would have heard the impact. Nathan hadn't-

Nathan's hands gripped her tighter to him when she tried to pull away. "You've figured it out?"

Azalea tried harder. **"Nathan, aren't you tired?" What was he doing?**

**"Not anymore." Nathan cooed.**

Nathan's hands gripped her tighter to him when she tried to pull away. "You've figured it out?"

Azalea tried harder. "Nathan, aren't you tired?" What was he doing?

"Not anymore." Nathan cooed, and then kissed her. His kisses always made her see stars, but this time she was seeing snow falling behind her eyelids. His hand left her hair, and joined his other hand on her back. He kissed her again, and then she was struggling to get out of his lap.

"Nathan!" Azalea fell back onto the floor, trying to crawl away. His eyes were dancing green flames, and he crawled after her. She got to her feet and hurried to the washroom. "Nathan!"

Nathan stood up, moving faster than she thought possible. She tried to close the door quickly, but Nathan caught the door before it shut, and closed it behind him. He pushed her against the wall. "I love it when you kiss me." Nathan laid fiery kisses down her collarbone. Azalea gulped hard and tried to squirm from his grip. "One day, you'll never leave the bedroom."

Azalea squeaked and tried harder. "Nathan!" He pushed her back against the wall, chuckling when she squeaked from his shove. Nathan's hands curled themselves in her hair, and she gasped when he pressed his lips to hers again.

Nathan's eyes burned into hers, and she swallowed when he pulled away, untangling his fingers from her hair. He took a step backwards, and watched her.

Azalea tried to steady her breathing, but it came out in rapid gasps. Azalea put her hand on her heart, and gulped. Nathan's eyes crinkled as he smiled, and then he had her in his arms. He stood there, holding her like Liam had held Sage, and his nose was right next to her ear. "Azal?"

"Hm?" Azalea breathed steadily through her nose, trying hard not to tremble in his grip. Nathan held her tighter.

"I'm not done." Nathan walked from the washroom. He set her down on the bed, and then grabbed her waist when she tried to crawl away. He pulled her back to him, and then she was panting. She couldn't keep up with him.

Nathan sighed when she relented, and turned her around. He cupped her chin, and pecked her on the lips. He sat in front of her, and one hand stroked her lower back while they kissed. She was melting at his gentle touch, and then she had her hands around his neck.

"I like spicy things, too. Not just sweets." Nathan said around her lips. She opened her eyes to see his eyes smoldering. He pushed her on her back, and sat on her lap. Nathan pushed her hair from her eyes, and she struggled to remember why she had tried to run. He was so _gentle_.

Nathan bent down, and she saw that his shirt was still off. **"Nathan, where's your shirt?"**

**"You took it off for me."** He pointed to his shirt on the floor and she leaned over to see. **"It looks good there, doesn't it?"**

She didn't reply, still caught up in something strange. This was what was missing earlier. Nathan.

**"Your dress and my pants need to join my shirt. It's lonely."** Nathan laid on top of her, not crushing her with his weight, but gently pushing against her. Nathan stroked her lips with his own. Her fingers went up to play with his hair, and she dimly felt her neck aching.

Nathan kissed her harder, and somehow she was rubbing his arms. Nathan blinked hard, and then laid his head on her neck. His warm breath made her shiver under him.

Nathan kissed her harder, and somehow she was rubbing his arms. Nathan blinked hard, and then laid his head on her neck. His warm breath made her shiver under him.

After a few moments, Nathan sat up. He pulled her up to kiss her cheek, and then he shifted to his side of the bed.

"Night."

"Night?" Azalea sat up, confused when he rolled away. "We hardly did anything." Azalea could feel the ache inside begin to flare. "You do all that, and then you say 'Night'?"

Nathan smiled. "Yup." His lips made the _p_ pop.

Azalea put her head in her hands. "You made me think you were going to eat me!"

"I was, but I'm saving you for desert later." Nathan rubbed her shoulder. "Had fun?"

Nathan rubbed her shoulder. "Had fun?"

"Why would you do that to me?" Azalea demanded, struggling to comprehend the tears falling from her eyes. Nathan wiped them away with his soft thumbs.

"It was a test to make sure you were feeling better." Nathan looked at her, and the beautiful green fire was gone. "So we can continue next time."

"Nathan Valor Lei Keen, you are the most beautiful monster I have ever met."

"At least I'm beautiful." Nathan chuckled, and kissed her 'goodnight'.

A/N: He was so clever here. xD

* * *

><p>She made Nathan lie down. He didn't protest at all, only slightly roll his eyes.<p>

She leaned in to kiss him 'goodnight', and closed her eyes next to him. Azalea was afraid to sleep, but she drifted off.

She was lying down on her back, staring up at the ceiling. She looked around the tiny sunlit room, confused at where she was. Azalea sat up, confused at the vases of white tulips and red poppy roses. She saw paint on the walls, and golden sun flower patterns. The one window in the room had white curtains that were flooding with morning light.

A breath on her ear made her head whip to the side. Nathan was sitting up, his bare chest dewy. "Mornin', Azal."

She looked at Nathan's sparking green eyes, her own beginning to charge with the love that lingered in the air. It was intangible, but she could almost feel it radiating from their skin.

"Morning, Nathan." She looked down to find yellow sheets covering up her bare chest and body. "What's happened?"

"I believe our honeymoon has happened," Nathan smiled. He bent in for a sparking kiss, and her body began to shake. Honeymoon?

Her arms dropped the sheets and found their way around Nathan's neck. She pulled him closer to her, moaning in bliss when his lips found the crook of her neck.

"Nathan," Azalea started, but her mouth stopped forming the words. She moaned into his bare chest. The sun felt warm on her skin and she was panting from Nathan's pleasant abuse.

"Doll, are you okay?"

"Um, can I have your children?" Azalea wrapped her arms around Nathan's body. "Can I have all of them?"

* * *

><p><strong>"Sebastian, you're hurting Mother." Dwayne said to Anna's belly. Anna swatted him away with a gentle hand.<strong>

**"Don't tell him that!" She cried. "He'll feel like a monster."**

**"He doesn't mean it, of course." Dwayne allowed.**

"Dwayne Tecro Fernando-"

"Anna-Beth Lei Keen," Dwayne stuck his tongue out at her, making Anna laugh. Nathan rolled his eyes, joining in with the rest of the room.

Anna-Beth and Dwayne.

The two were made for each other.

* * *

><p>Nathan bit his tongue to keep himself from punching the daylights out of Alex's younger brother. "Damn, Alex what happened to you?"<p>

Alex looked at his younger brother with a dry look. "Well, when you get old, you start falling apart." Alex abruptly glared at Alec. "You leave that girl alone, you hear?"

"What girl?" Alec put his hands up. Everyone else sat up, unaccustomed to seeing Alex's mean side. "I don't know who you're talking about."

Alex's glare was ice cold, like staring at a tree caught up in a winter frost. He got up slowly, and gestured for Alec to follow him. Unfortunately they were still in earshot of Nathan and his friends. "Leave Azalea alone."

"Why would I leave _her_ alone?" Alec blustered. "She was a pretty little thing, before Jacob got to her. She was too good to be true, Alex. And I'll tell you this, if I had known getting her drunk would have made her so _easy_, I would have done it so much sooner." His words made Nathan's blood begin to boil. He almost hated Alec more than he hated Jacob.

David looked at Nathan, watching his eyes narrow dangerously. "Nathan, he's being a bastard, don't listen to him-"

**Alec sighed. "She was such a treat, Alex. She hardly fought if you ask me. Well, then again I exercise so she could have been trying all she could and I still would have gotten her. Her screams were delicious-"**

**Nathan stood up so fast, seeing red. His fist connected harshly with Alec's face, and the entire Tavern went quiet. "You filthy bastard!" Nathan roared. Alec fell down and Nathan began kicking him. "Leave her alone, or I'm going to kill you! You never should have even met her! I swear to God, I will kill you if you ever give her so much as a goddamn look-"**

**Dwayne yanked Nathan away, only to kick Alec in the ribs. "Damn it, Alec! Piss off and go to hell!"**

A/N: Who actually admired Dwayne more? I did. I thought this was great.

* * *

><p>Guy sipped his tea. "I can't believe I'm getting married."<p>

Dwayne nodded. "It is an odd experience."

They all sat up, looking at Dwayne with wide eyes.

"What?"

**"What the hell. . . You did it already?" Nathan blinked hard.**

**Liam groaned. "Damn it. Why couldn't you have waited?"**

**Dwayne scowled. "I love her, why the hell would I wait?"**

**Alex slapped his hand to his forehead. "Dwayne. . . Congratulations!"**

A/N: In my defense, someone needed to back Dwayne up.

* * *

><p>I sat up, yawning. I stretched my arms, reaching for the sky, and then looked around the room. Eugene was gone, and his side of the bed was gone.<p>

I was hyperventilating when I finally made it out of the room. I yanked open the door to the Dining Hall, looking around. Anna-Beth was making Dwayne eat pieces of buttered toast, and Olivia was urgently telling Guy to breathe shallowly so his chest wouldn't hurt as much.

Alex was being fussed over by Stephanie who kept washing his face with a wet cloth, and Diego was nibbling on his own piece of toast, looking at Stephanie with miserable eyes.

Fernidia was giving Adam a back massage on the floor, ignoring his complaints, while Sarah was forcing Liam to drink his tea. Azalea and Nathan were sitting in their seats, looking almost normal, except for the fact that Azalea was sitting on Nathan's lap, playing with his hair.

Candace was pulling David into the room from the other door, forcing him into a chair. She flitted around the room, finding biscuits for him to eat. David turned green at the sight of the biscuits, but forced himself to eat one, a resigned look in his eyes.

Nathan was smiling, but something told me that Azalea had been harassing him much like all of my friends were to their husbands, betroths, and. . . I looked at Fernidia and Adam. They were courting all right.

My Mother and Father were staring at the scene unfolding with horrified eyes. Mother looked at Father, and they both watched my friends worry over their men wordlessly. They almost seemed afraid to speak up.

I almost didn't care at the moment. **"Morning, all. Where's Eugene?"**

**Nathan looked at me and smiled. "He should be coming in any minute; he had tended to Maximus earlier."**

**Anna-Beth spoke, "Pascal's been looking for you." Anna looked at me, and then Azalea with anxious eyes. "Nathan, wasn't he with you when you went to the-"**

**"He should be around here somewhere." Nathan snuck an urgent look at Azalea.**

**Alex grumbled. "Stephanie, let me up."**

**"Your leg is-"**

**"It's healing now. Let me up." Alex muttered. "You're babying me. Look at you." He looked at all my friends with sharp eyes. "You're all fussing over your men. They're all fine!"**

**Azalea glared at him. "They're hurt."**

**Olivia looked at Guy. "We can't take care of them?"**

**Alex sighed. "We'll all just be in here, all right. Quit your fussing, we won't move an inch." He looked at Candace, Anna-Beth, and me. "Go get some more sleep, and if I see you three back in here, I'll knock you clear out."**

**I started, "Alex-"**

**Eugene walked in the room, the bandages removed from his head. He looked at me, saw the fury darken my face, and quickly took a step backwards. "Look, Blondie, I-"**

**"What are you doing moving?" I exclaimed. All the women in the room, except my Mother, glared at Eugene, and then at the man they were taking care of. "You're not supposed to be up and about; you're hurt!"**

**David tried to get out of his chair. "Candace, I'm not hungry anymore." She grabbed him by the shoulder and forced him back down on the chair.**

**"You're going to eat all of this toast if I have to cram it down your throat!"** She nearly shrieked. **"Now eat!"**

**Liam threw David a horrified look and struggled to move away from Sarah. "Let me up."**

**"No! Drink it!" Sarah handed him the cup back. He put it back on the table and anger darkened her eyes. "Liam Pulcro Kilter, if you don't drink all of this tea. . ."**

More protest filled the room. **Adam tried to get off the floor, but Fernidia sat on him, enabling him immobile.**

**Nathan looked at Azalea, and gulped. He remained silent until Azalea got off his lap to get him some toast.** He clambered to his feet, and yelled, **"Run!"**

The men quickly squirmed away from my friends and they all hurried to the door. Eugene lingered for a moment, and then he quickly followed them. Alex was gone as well, and my Mother and Father were watching us carefully.

**The entire room was quiet. I sat down next to Anna-Beth, joined by Candace, Fernidia, and Azalea. Olivia stared down at the purple tablecloth.**

**"Girls?" My Mother asked. She should have stayed silent.**

**Anna-Beth screamed. "When I find him, I am _not_ letting him out of my sight!"**

**Sarah looked infuriated. "Ladies, pack up some food. Its man hunting time."**

Fernidia managed to giggle, but otherwise we were completely serious. Stephanie was muttering curses under her breath as she began to wrap up fruit and bread in the light purple napkins. Olivia looked at Anna-Beth, who had gone quiet.

**My Father warned us,**

**"Find them, but please don't kill them."**

A/N: If I was Rapunzel's father, I'd be very scared.

* * *

><p>Azalea eased Nathan on the bed, her heart in her throat. He bit his lips, his face going pale, as he sat up on top of the covers. His side must be hurting, but Azalea was afraid to look.<p>

Fear and anxiety filled her. Would Nathan even want to eat? What if he was just saying he was fine now, but then he'd been dead tomorrow morning? What if the bed was too cold? Should she roll around on it to make it warmer? What if he needed to go to the washroom, put fell on his way there? She'd have to stay up all night-

**Nathan sighed in relief when he finally managed to get comfortable, and watched her while she flitted about their room. She went to the open curtains and closed them. Azalea nearly fell as she closed the cracked bedroom door, then did the same for the washroom. She paused, and then opened the washroom door. She got the silver tray and was about to sit on the bed when Nathan's voice broke her concentrated silence.**

**"Doll, slow down. I'm really all right." His green eyes stared at her while she bounced across the room.**

**Azalea suddenly felt her lungs collapse on themselves. She fought to take deep breaths. She had nearly lost him, and he was telling _her_ to slow down. "Nathan, shush."**

**"Azalea, I'm fine-"**

**"No, Nathan. I need to do this. You're hurt and I-"**

**"I'm just telling you to take it easy."**

**"I don't want you to have to move around!"**

**"I'm fine, look at me!"**

**"Yes, look at you. My shining knight in bandages and covered in bruises!" Her voice shook. "I shouldn't have let you run at him."**

**"He would have killed Eugene!"**

**"Nathan, I just want you to stay put-"**

**"Azalea, I'm fine! Doll, I'm okay, just take it easy-"**

**"Let me take care of you!" She set the tray down, the air in her lungs rushing in and out in quick _whoosh_ sounds. She hadn't realized she was sobbing until Nathan's protests died away. Azalea sat down on the bed, her back facing him. "I. . .I don't want you to get hurt any more than you already are. . ." Nathan went quieter, if possible.**

**She drew in a deep breath to go on. "Just stay put for me, okay?" She turned to him, tears in her eyes. "Please? Don't go anywhere."**

**Nathan looked quiet. "Okay," he said. She sucked in another breath.**

* * *

><p>Azalea looked at Nathan, expecting the flowers' magic to start healing him as well, when nothing happened.<p>

"Nathan?" She loomed over him, panic making her abruptly energetic. "Nathan, can you hear me?" She shook him.

Nathan didn't stir, and she unbuttoned his vest to see the wound still bleeding. She went pale when she saw the deep purple bruises on his ribs after lifting up his shirt.

Everyone around her was awake and dazed. There were gasps of horror when they saw the bruises, and Azalea's mind couldn't comprehend it. Nathan wasn't dead, was he?

"Nathan Valor Keen, if you don't open your eyes. . ." She couldn't go on.

"Azalea," Alex tried to pull her from him. She screamed, crying and sobbing.

"He can't be! He's not dead, he's not!" Azalea struggled to escape Alex's tight grip, inwardly amazed that he was standing. "Nathan, open your eyes! Nathan, please!"

_ Whiskey, cologne, and perfume filled the air, making her nose tingle like the rest of her body._

_ Nathan panted around her lips and she gasped as the kisses were making her see the beautiful snow again. She grabbed at Nathan's neck with both hands, pulling him impossibly closer to her. The hand that had opened the door went to her lower back and she was struggling to see nothing more than Nathan's burning eyes._

_ She fell back and landed on soft cotton: the bed. She arched her back to keep her lips connected to his. Nathan landed on her softly, and she could feel him everywhere. He was in the air she breathed, and the spicy smell made her ache. He was under her skin and flooded her vision._

_ "Am I supposed to take this off?" Nathan's voice was husky. "I-I. . . Damn, off it goes!"_

_Nathan blinked hard, and then laid his head on her neck. His warm breath made her shiver under him._

_ After a few moments, Nathan sat up. He pulled her up to kiss her cheek, and then he shifted to his side of the bed._

_ "Night."_

_ "Night?" Azalea sat up, confused when he rolled away. "We hardly did anything." Azalea could feel the ache inside begin to flare. "You do all that, and then you say 'Night'?"_

_ Nathan smiled. "Yup." His lips made the _p_ pop._

**_ Azalea put her head in her hands. "You made me think you were going to eat me!"_**

**_ "I was, but I'm saving you for desert later." Nathan rubbed her shoulder. "Had fun?"_**

Azalea fell to her knees, unable to breathe.

_ "Nathan Valor Lei Keen, you are the most beautiful monster I have ever met."_

_ "At least I'm beautiful." Nathan chuckled, and kissed her 'goodnight'._

"Azalea, he's going to be okay," Rapunzel vaguely promised her, sitting down to Nathan's body. She sang the song, her hair placed on Nathan's wound, but he didn't move.

Azalea couldn't believe it. Not Nathan.

_ Azalea looked at Nathan and quickly pecked his cheek when he came back down. She whispered in his ear: _

_ "I love you."_

_ Nathan's eyes were stunned and they followed her when she walked onto the platform. Jacob was going to show up, and then it'd be over._

_ "Aw."_

_ "What?" She glanced at him then back to the window. He moved to the bedroom door. "What is it?"_

_ "No more blizzards now." He poked out his lower lip._

_ "We're going to fall," Azalea breathed into his ear whenever he got close._

_ To that, he replied, "At least we'll fall together."_

_ "Are we still going to glide?" Maybe he had had enough for one night?_

_ "Yup," Nathan grabbed her hand again. He clutched it tight. "Sorry, doll. You're not getting out of this."_

_ Azalea was sure he was as caught up in their game as she was, and neither looked at where they were going. She took three steps to him the third time and leaned her face up to his like she was going to kiss him-_

_ Azal sighed as she worked, looking at the red dirt in her nails and on her uniforms. She got up to deliver more wet bricks and gave one to a tan hand asking for one._

_ The head looked up and she saw Nathan's green eyes staring at her. He managed a quick welcoming smirk at her and she felt her skin flush. He grinned even bigger and waved her along, winking._

_ He kissed her nose. "If it happens every day, and I still get to have you just like this, I'd take it anyway, Doll."_

_ "Do you want me to sneak you away, Doll? I could do it, you know."_

_ "I'm n-not going to d-die a-again, am I?"_

_ "Of course not."_

_ "H-how are you sure?"_

_ "Because if you die, we won't be able to make sweet love at night."_

_ "So stick around for me."_

_ "We're going to make sweet love all night."_

_A bird cooed loudly above them and they both pulled away. "Sorry!" She gasped, but she could still feel the sparks charging through her chin from his gentle touch._

_ "Sorry, as well." Nathan looked away. "That was out of line."_

I think it was very in line_. Azalea thought with a strange pang._

_ "What are you doing?" She asked him when she finished washing her hands. She was about to dry them, but Nathan took her hands in his and kissed her wet fingertips. She blushed and tried to pull them away._

_ "I want to know something," Nathan's breath was cold on her fingers. His green eyes were smoldering in the gloom as they focused on her gaze. "What do you really look like?"_

_ Azalea breathed out. "I think you can imagine."_

_"Have you done something you're not proud of?"_

_ "I hid a dress for her."_

_ "Smart." Nathan ruffled her hair._

**_"What do I call you now?"_**

**_ "Call me nothing. I feel like nothing."_**

**_ "You are everything to me,"_**

_"You're not expected back some place, are you?"_

_ "They'll think I got lost."_

_ "Name choosing again?"_

_ She nodded._

_ "Any ideas?"_

_ Azalea tried harder to hide her wince. "Not many."_

_ "Tell me some."_

_ She glanced at him. "Ava."_

_ "Ava what?"_

_ Azal nudged him, blushing. "I think it might be a nickname."_

_"What would you have named her?"_

_ "Aza," Azalea looked at her friend's face with blurry vision, "But now I think her name would have been Ava."_

_ Nathan stirred. "Doll?"_

_ "Nathan," Azalea wrapped him in a tight hug, like Rosemary had hugged her. "I need to tell you something."_

_ She told him everything._

_ Nathan's eyes were dull green pools when she was done, and when she began to cry at the memory, he rocked her back and forth, his composure gone._

**_"Hi, Nathan." She looked at him, sad all over again that she was pretending to be Rapunzel. "How's it going?"_**

**_ "You mean how's guarding the most important woman in the Kingdom?"_**

**_"What's your name?"_**

**_ "Nathan Keen."_**

**_"I am Azalea Salta Gothel Dixon."_**

_ She whispered in his ear: _

_ "I love you."_

_ "I'm in love with the girl in red. Just a warning: Hands off."_

_ "Just remember that I love you, Doll."_

Rapunzel stood up, shaking. "Azalea, I-I'm so sorry. He's not healing." Eugene wrapped her in a hug, dried blood near his eyes. He looked at Azalea, and the look of the pity in his eyes made her wince.

Anna bent over her older brother's body, crying. Azalea pulled away from Alex to crouch next to Anna. Azalea could only cry, and Anna put her arm around Azalea's shoulder.

"Let me. . . Try." Azalea mumbled numbly. Not Nathan, not Nathan, not Nathan.

Anna-Beth nodded, and stood up to be caught in Dwayne's arms. Azalea looked up at the sky for a moment, feeling as if the sky was weeping for her lost.

"_Flower gleam and glow. Let your power shine. Make the clock reverse. Bring back what once was mine. Heal what has been hurt. Change the fate's design. Save what has been lost. Bring back what once was mine._" Azalea stared at Nathan's peaceful face. She looked at her shoulders to see her hair glowing silver. She placed her glowing hands on Nathan's face, and felt his cold skin. Nathan had always been so warm to her before.

"The flowers are glowing." David's hoarse voice made her look up. The golden yellow sun flowers were glowing silver all around them. Michael was on his feet, standing away from the others. The clouds were gone, but Michael looked lost.

She looked back down at Nathan's gentle face, her shoulders beginning to shake as she fought to keep more sobs at bay.

_He stroked her hair, and stared down at her._

_ "You were drinking to forget something sad, weren't you?"_

_ "I'm in love with the girl in red. Just a warning: Hands off."_

_ "Just remember that I love you, Doll."_

_ "Nathan, what would you do if I were to die?"_

_ Nathan frowned, and his hand holding hers chilled noticeably. "If you were to die, I'd. . . You know, follow suit."_

_ "What if we had children before then?"_

_ Nathan frowned deeper. "Azalea, you know I'd stay for the children."_

_ Azalea shook her head. "Okay, Nathan. What if you knew I was going to die? What would you do when it was supposed to happen in the next five minutes?"_

_ "Azalea, you're not dying right now-"_

_ "Nathan, what would you do?"_

_ Nathan's face drained of color, Azalea could see it in the moonlight that shone on them and the rippling waves of the dark blue lake. "I'd keep you away from wherever it would happen."_

_ "What if you didn't know where it would happen?" Azalea started to breathe fast. She started to ask more questions but Nathan quickly stopped her with a kiss._

_ "Azalea, please." Nathan pleaded. His eyes were shining red. "Don't talk about death."_

_ "How did I find you?"_

_ Nathan smiled and chuckled for a moment. He pulled away, and she could only stare at him. His black hair was messily framing his face, and some strands were glowing a brilliant white. His eyes were made dark green by the shadow casted on his face._

_ "You became a Princess."_

_"If you were to die, I'd. . . You know, follow suit."_

_ "Just remember that I love you, Doll."_

She bent down to kiss Nathan, her lips aching. When they made contact, he blinked his eyes open.

Nathan sat up, and she saw flecks of her silvery tears on his eyelids. **"Doll?"** He gasped, and then his body flooded with heat.** He wrapped her in a tight hug.**

**She pulled him in for a kiss, relief making her head spin.**

**"I thought I lost you."**

**Nathan smiled dazedly. "Why would I leave you?"**

* * *

><p>Nathan kissed her lips and she was walking backwards, her hands latched onto his curly dark hair. Moonlight flooded the open curtains –she had forgotten to close them before she left to get dressed- and danced in her vision. Whiskey, cologne, and perfume filled the air, making her nose tingle like the rest of her body.<p>

Nathan panted around her lips and she gasped as the kisses were making her see the beautiful snow again. She grabbed at Nathan's neck with both hands, pulling him impossibly closer to her. The hand that had opened the door went to her lower back and she was struggling to see nothing more than Nathan's burning eyes.

She fell back and landed on soft cotton: the bed. She arched her back to keep her lips connected to his. Nathan landed on her softly, and she could feel him everywhere. He was in the air she breathed, and the spicy smell made her ache. He was under her skin and flooded her vision.

She reached up to fumble with the tuxedo jacket. Nathan pulled the burgundy sash off her waist with a simple tug. She began to unbuckle the reddish pink shirt underneath, and pressed her lips to his again.

**"Wait," Nathan spoke as one of his hands reached her corset laces. She went still, trembling at how close the stars were. "I think we're drunk."**

"I think so too." Why start a conversation when the stars were right above their heads? Azalea managed to pull back his shirt and her fingers gently stroked Nathan's smooth chest.

She realized he was slurring when she spoke. "I think I need to change clothes."

"Can I take them off?" Azalea felt him sit up. She sat up as well, looking at her, knowing her skin was as red as her dress.

"In that case," Nathan yanked off the shirt and pushed her wild hair back. He leaned in to kiss her, and then they broke into wild frenzy.

She stood up, her lips going to the crook of his neck as he helped her out the beautiful red dress. Somehow Nathan managed to step out of his midnight black pants, and then they were back on the bed again.

Azalea grabbed at his now bare back, her fingers rubbing his skin while she marveled at how soft his skin were. The supple muscles ripped in his arms as he stroked the nightgown.

"Am I supposed to take this off?" Nathan's voice was husky. "I-I. . . Damn, off it goes!" Azalea smiled a drunken smile and her vision blurred as Nathan reached down to move the straps.

Azalea bit back a moan as his too warm fingers moved one strap out of the way. Her face went blissful with pleasure when Nathan bent down to kiss the crook of her neck. "Nathan!"

"Hm?" Nathan didn't move, only suckled at her neck. She arched her back and Nathan nibbled hard enough for her to feel it through the whiskey. She panted and her hands pulled on his hair. The suckling and nibbling continued and she was overwhelmed when the strange need made an abrupt appearance.

"My. . .My turn." Azalea pushed against Nathan. He rolled over and she sat on his lap. She was panting hard, and struggled to get her breath back.

Nathan looked up from her, his hair streaked with white because of the moonlight. His green eyes seemed luminous and bottomless. They sparkled when she bent down to kiss him.

When her lips made contact, everything blurred. She laid down on him and began to kiss him fiercely. He moaned and his hands pushed her against him. He was in her veins. Her skin was burning as they started rolling over. Nathan ended up sitting up, with her on his lap. They bent in for a kiss, and then Azalea hugged herself against him. Her teeth grazed his ear and she whispered,

"Dolls are meant to play with, Nathan Valor Keen."

Nathan blew out a low coo and then he was on top of her again. The other strap was gone, and they were both trying to shuffle out of their undergarments. The whiskey filled the air and the cologne and perfume seemed to grow stronger as they moved. Anna-Beth and Candace had sprayed too much.

Nathan's spicy cologne filled her nose, and they couldn't pay attention to what each other looked like. It was there: the need. And she was beginning to feel like she was burning alive.

Their bare legs tangled together and there was one thought Azalea was thinking. It was all she could think about, and occupied every other thought other than Nathan's warm skin against hers: She and Nathan needed to make love. They needed to do it now.

Nathan gasped when she gently dug her nails into his back. He laid fiery kisses along her collarbone, about to go lower, when someone knocked on the door.

"Damn!" Nathan rolled over. He covered them both with the sheets, and called. "One moment." He looked at her, and she could still feel the heat in her cheeks. She covered her chest with the sheets, and looked at the door.

The doorknob turned and opened slowly.

**"Hear anything?"** Guy asked.

"**Um, no. But that's probably bad."** Olivia and her fiancé peeked in. She spotted them on the bed, and she and Guy walked in. Guy stared around the room.

**"Nothing broken."**

Azalea heard a barely audible crack coming from one of the bed's legs.

Olivia saw the clothes on the floor, and looked at the two of them. Her blue eyes, made dark blue in the gloom, narrowed. **"May I ask what these are doing here?"**

**"I was going to tell you, but I got whiskey on my dress."** Azalea lied. She felt the heat beginning to flare when Olivia looked at the sheets covering them.

**"Nathan, why are your clothes on the floor?"**

Nathan clucked his tongue nervously. **"Alec spilled soup on my jacket."**

Guy pulled Olivia away, looking at the two of them in empathy. "Nothing's going on. Let's leave them alone."

**Olivia gathered up the clothes and huffed. "Be back in an hour." Her eyes went smaller.**

**When the engaged couple left, Nathan and Azalea leaned back against the bedpost. "Olivia's scary." Azalea mumbled.**

**Nathan nodded.**

* * *

><p><strong>Eugene and Adam muttered things in each other's ears and then Eugene said, "You're on."<strong>

**"What did you two bet?" Olivia asked.**

**Eugene bent down to whisper in Olivia's ear. "If I can pickpocket everyone in this room."**

**Rapunzel rolled her eyes at the exchange hopelessly.**

* * *

><p>"Hey, Azal!" Rapunzel called to her. <strong>"You drink a lot, right?"<strong>

**"Who told you that?" Azalea frowned. It wasn't exactly true, but it wasn't false either.**

"Dwayne says you've been drunk more than once." Rapunzel was standing in between two small tables that were loaded with shots of whiskey. "Since I can't beat Guy at this, you try it."

* * *

><p>"He's with Maya. Did you know that she's in her thirties? She insisted that she was too old to go to a little gathering like this." Sarah smiled fondly as she thought of her son's caretaker. <strong>"She said she'll keep him tonight for us."<strong>

**"For what?" Azalea didn't need to ask.**

**Sarah rubbed Liam's shoulder suggestively** and Azalea blushed. "Sorry."

* * *

><p>Azalea peeked in the room, and Nathan wanted to run to her. "Everyone in now?"<p>

"Yes, come in." Rapunzel couldn't the excitement out of her voice. Nathan looked at his friends and saw that everyone was staring at him.

"What?" He asked, his own voice going hoarse.

"Nothing!" They all snapped their heads away. When he looked back at the door, he could feel everyone's gazes on him. He shifted, uncomfortable in his seat. The Tavern was plunged into dusk as the sun went down and Alec and Alex began lighting candles.

Azalea stepped into the Tavern, and Nathan went still, his eyes looking her up and down in a way he hoped was polite. She was-

_Beautiful_.

Azalea's dress was deep red and the neckline was too low for comfort. The dress had short sleeves, though laces continued down to her wrists. The corset laces were a shade deeper than the dress. Azalea's eyelids were delicately covered with a light pink powder. Her lips were bright crimson, and her fingers played together nervously as she registered the very quiet silence in the room. The dress stopped at her mid thighs, and Nathan thought he saw something lacy underneath. Her legs looked longer and her lips seemed bigger. The dress held fast to her waist and made her seem all curves. Her hair seemed longer as well, and reached above her mid back in long gold tendrils that were curled at the ends. Her shoes were covered by red sandals with a tiny heel on them, and an undeniably sweet smell hit him in the face when she took a small step closer to them. The claps in the room were deafening, but all Nathan could hear was his heart beating.

The room went quiet as they waited for Nathan's reaction.

"Nathan?" Eugene asked, peering at him. Nathan tried to suck in a breath.

He shakily got off of his stool. "I'm in love with the girl in red. Just a warning: Hands off." The room burst into laughter as Nathan wrapped Azalea in a hug. She exhaled a nervous breath for the both of them. The night suddenly seemed long and comfortable. He kissed her lips. "**You and the color red have been courting and you never told me?** You look so good together, damn."

Azalea smiled, and the effect it had on him was staggering. "Thanks, Nat."

Guy grinned as he handed them whiskey cups. "To Happy Lives!"

Everyone in the room toasted. "Amen!"

* * *

><p>Adam rushed into the room, with Liam and David in tow. "Damn, sorry guys. I finally found them."<p>

**"Where the hell were you two?" Dwayne asked David and Liam, his tone playful.**

**"I have a wife." Liam and David said at the same time.**

* * *

><p><strong>"What am I wearing?"<strong> Azalea was afraid to ask. If the nightgown was squeezing the life out of her and barely reached to her mid thighs, what was the dress like?

**Olivia held up a gown but Fernidia put her hands in front of Azalea's eyes so she couldn't see.**

**"Like it?" Olivia asked.**

**Azalea muttered. "Sure, it's great."**

* * *

><p>When they made it back to their bedroom and were both lying face to face, Nathan spoke again. "Six?"<p>

"You don't want six?"

"How far apart will they be?"

"A year, I hope."

Nathan smiled and his green eyes were simmering.

"Six little Azaleas."

"Six little Nathans." She countered him, wishing that her eyes weren't dark. Nathan stared into them, and instead of repulsion, she saw affection in his deep green eyes.

"Goodnight." Azalea pecked his nose.

"Goodnight, Doll."

She felt him grab her hand before she fell asleep.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Loving me."

"What's not to love? You're feisty as hell when you want, cute as a button, and you know how to have a good time." He gestured to the dress. "And you look like desert in that little red thing you've got on there."

"Fiesty?" She looked up at him.

"See? There you go."

* * *

><p>"Anna and Dwayne must be very happy." Azalea said, pushing herself to Nathan's chest. She realized then that they hadn't lit candles. "Hold on, it's dark in here." She pulled away.<p>

She felt Nathan close behind her as she felt the way to the washroom. She grabbed at the counters for a lantern, not sure how she would light it. She felt Nathan's hands grab her waist from behind and she gasped.

"Nathan?"

"Of course it's me." Nathan was smiling, though she couldn't see. "Who else would grab you this way?"

"Um." Azalea didn't know how to respond.

"Don't answer that," Nathan pulled her close to him.

* * *

><p>They walked back to the Palace. "What are we doing?" Nathan asked.<p>

"Wait here," she left him by the Dining Hall.

"Where are you going?" Nathan stood where he was, watching her leave.

"I'll be right back, all right?" She walked to the dressing room, rummaging through the dresses after she lit a few candles. She pulled away what she wanted and pulled it on. She tied the sash to her waist and applied the eye powder and mixture on her face. She combed out her hair with her hands and pulled on the shoes.

She walked to the mirror and held up a candle by her side so she could see. She was wearing what she had worn on Olivia's Bachelorette night, like she had promised Nathan.

When she walked back to the Dining Hall, Nathan was leaning back against the wall, looking patient. He looked up when he heard the sound of the tiny heels. His eyes widened when he saw her attire and he blinked. "Are we doing what I think we're doing?"

"What do you think we're doing?" She put a hand on her hips and scolded at him. Nathan's breath hitched and then he sucked in a deep gust of air.

"I think we're about to give me a heart attack."

* * *

><p>"Tired?" Anna-Beth asked, glancing at Azalea. Azalea nodded wearily, her eyes closing. Nathan prodded her.<p>

**"Azalea, stay awake. You're going to fall on your muffins."**

**"It's okay," Liam poked Azalea's fingers with a fork. "What's got you so tired?" He sharply glanced at Nathan, arching his eyebrows**. Nathan blinked and shook his head at him.

* * *

><p>Then it clicked.<p>

This time she swore in anger, not exasperation. **"Damn it!"**

**"What?" Fernidia froze, and she saw a realization in Fernidia's bright blue eyes.**

**"Again?" Azalea yanked the door open and stalked to the Dining Hall. She was on the stuff _again_? "My goodness, whose idea was it?" She almost kicked the door open in her haste.**

**Everyone was sitting in the Dining Hall, and looked up when she approached. She felt Fernidia on her heels as she paced the hallway, not speaking to anyone.**

**"Azalea, you're only on it for a reason. Calm down, and I'll-"**

**"Fernidia, go sit down before I kill you."**

**"Let me know when you feel better," Fernidia was wise.** She plopped down next to Anna-Beth and Sebastian.

* * *

><p><strong>When was she last here?<strong>

**_ Azalea turned to him, the knife in her hands._**

**_ Nathan's eyes flickered to the knife and then to her face. "Don't stab me."_**

**_ "Oh, Nathan, I'd never hurt you." Azalea sang in a sing-song voice as she added the meat to the stew._**

**Oh. There it was. She had been here yesterday.**

* * *

><p>A guard, one of the strange very few in the hallways, caught her attention. He winked his brown eyes at her and she gasped. "Adam?"<p>

"Hell no. This is Michael."

She shrugged. "Sorry. Where is everyone?"

He shrugged and she noticed a cloud fall over his eyes. She went pale. Was that a good cloud or a bad cloud? "I don't know."

"The Square?" Would she have to yank it out of him?

He winked again. What? "Maybe."

**She walked down the hall and was surprised to see him right behind her. "Problem?" He asked.**

**"Are you guarding me now?" She looked at him, widening her eyes innocently.**

**"I figured that you seem irritated. And irritated feisty maidens, such as yourself, need supervision."**

**"Guard supervision or adult supervision?"**

**"Take your pick since I am neither."**

**She started laughing. Typical Michael Dawson.**

**"You also need protection."**

**"Sure, sure."**

**"I'm serious," he said when they stopped by his room. He came out wearing his trademark clothes of his red vest, brown sleeves and dark red boots with white pants. "Cute as a button young maidens, such as yourself, are prone to dangerous accidents."**

**"Meaning I'll trip on my own feet?"**

**"You're smart,"** Michael smiled at her when they walked out to the Square.

"What's wrong?" Michael steered her to a bench and she sat down, blind because of tears.

**"Do people ever ignore you on your birthday?"**

**"Your birthday is today?" Michael sounded dumbfounded.**

**"Mr. Dawson, I ought to kill you."**

"I apologize. Happy Birthday."

She tried not to wail. "You ruined it!"

* * *

><p>"Why is it so quiet?" She blinked. "I mean, I know it is mid-afternoon, but there's usually laughing and shouting."<p>

Michael rolled his eyes. **"You know, I don't like your questions."**

**"You know, I don't like your impatience."**

**"You know, I don't like your tone."**

**"You know, I don't like the fact that today was my birthday and no one knew, so I don't like _your_ tone."**

**"You know, I don't like the fact that you haven't opened the door yet."**

She sighed. "Damn it, Dawson."

"Is today a day for swearing?" So he noticed too.

"No. I just get to do what I want today. I want forty eight shots." She smiled. "And then I want someone to bury me in the river when I die from the fortieth one."

**"Where the hell are your priorities?"**

**"Where the hell is your money to get us in?"**

**"Where the hell is your hand and why hasn't the door been opened?"**

**She sighed. "Michael, I'm not even thirsty."**

**"Open the door so I can get drunk."**

**"Fine, since you insist."**

* * *

><p><strong>Azalea blinked when everyone backed away from her. "What?" She asked.<strong>

**"If you throw those hard enough, you could knock someone out." Eugene said. "Trust me, I would know these things."**

**"And how?" Nathan asked Eugene.**

**"You don't remember that one time you and Jonathan were after me?" Eugene began to explain, his light brown eyes gleaming. "I was on. . . Mint, I believe, and one of her horseshoes fell off. I threw it at Jonathan and then he was out."**

**Nathan's green eyes flew wide. "That's why he fell down? I thought he fainted or something."**

**"Was he okay?" Rapunzel asked.**

**Eugene looked down, sheepish. "I didn't see him for weeks."**

**"He sprained his ankle and bruised a few ribs. Of course you wouldn't see him for weeks," Nathan grinned.**

**"Eugene, how could you?" Rapunzel gasped.**

**"I was a very different man back then." Eugene defended himself.**

* * *

><p>"Azalea, you are the most. . ." Liam went quiet.<p>

Azalea bit her lip, waiting.

**"You are very talented. Enough said." Liam sat down next to Sarah.**

**Everyone looked at Azalea for her reaction. She started laughing. "What does that mean, Liam?"**

**"Well, whatever you make of it." Liam looked ill at ease.**

* * *

><p>Jacob's lips went to hers, and she was jolted awake in shock to feel real lips on hers. <strong>She roared up, her hands going to the person's shoulders. She barreled them over and pushed them into the bed, sitting on their lap.<strong>

**She blinked her eyes open, her chest heaving. Bright green eyes gazed at her, and she sighed in relief. She fell against his chest, trying to slow her heart that was still pounding.**

**Nathan's voice was amused. "You are the _strangest_ sleeper!"**

She laughed breathlessly. "Oh really?"

Nathan nodded, his hands going to her back. "Yes, really. I knocked over a basin by the window sill," he fixed her with a half-amused look. "I nearly yelled to wake up all of Corona, and you slept through that. So then I think 'Oh, a little kiss wouldn't wake her up'. Never mind the fact that you just tackled me."

She sat up, not bothering to correct her nightgown straps. She gazed at him, almost wanting to pout. **"You scared me."**

**Nathan's eyebrows raised. "How could I have scared you when you were asleep?"**

**She rolled her eyes and pecked his lips. "How are you?"**

**"So I can say that I like this position?"**

**She flicked his temple. "Nathan Keen-"**

**"Yes, Azalea Keen?"**

**That stopped her cold. She abruptly lost all of her brief irritation and just gazed at him, feeling very warm.**

Nathan sensed the change in her, and smiled. "Yes, Azalea Keen?" She smiled. **Just the way he said it. . .**

* * *

><p><strong>She shrugged and walked to the washroom down the hall, still unsure about her hair. She had no idea what to do with it. Should she braid it-<strong>

**She opened the door and screamed when a hand reached out for her. It grabbed her by the arm, yanking her in. Lips crashed to hers, and then she was struggling to see straight.**

**"Nathan Keen!" Azalea screeched.**

**"Yes, Azalea Keen?"**

**Just the way he _said_ it. . .**

**"Can you kiss me again? I actually liked it."**

* * *

><p><strong>"I hit Liam with a bag of dough." David volunteered.<strong>

**"And that bruised me for a week. You knocked me down with it." Liam grumbled. David started laughing.**

**"It was an accident!"**

**"But you looked right at me and threw it to me. You even yelled 'Catch, you bastard!'." Liam glared playfully at him.**

**"You had it coming. You burned my cupcakes the day before."**

**"Candace told me to practice icing them."**

**"So how the hell did you burn them?"**

**"They got cold and I wanted to heat them up. Then Sarah came along, and I got distracted."**

**"You started telling jokes, Liam."**

"She had beautiful laughter, Dave."

* * *

><p><strong>"She came by. . . Two days ago." Azalea pouted. "She wouldn't even let me open the door. I'm not that fragile."<strong>

**"Quite the contrary."**

**She sighed. "Fine."**

"Come on." Nathan got up, grabbing her hand. He guided her to the front door, taking a moment to wrap a scarf around her neck. She grabbed a wool hat and put it on his head, getting up on her tip-toes. Nathan handed her a pair of gloves, and she tucked a scarf around the coat he was pulling on. **She put on the gloves quickly, and eyed Nathan.**

**"Hm?" Nathan pulled a wool hat on her head.**

**"Can I open the door?"**

**"Nope. Maybe in six months."**

* * *

><p>Alex looked heartbroken, and he sat down, looking at his untouched plate. Who could eat now anyway?<p>

Liam tried again. "Nathan-"

Nathan flashed him a dark look, and Liam went quiet. David looked at Nathan, and then at everyone else around the room. **"I know it looks bad, but there's a chance that she's still living."**

Anna looked at David fiercely. **"You better be glad you have a wife, David."**

David threw his hands up. "Why does it seem so impossible? We all know how fierce Azalea is. She wouldn't have gone down without a fight."

"She didn't go down sleeping, David!" I glared at him. "Of course she fought back."

"All the walks we took," Nathan said softly, and we went silent, listening to his voice. His voice didn't even sound like him. He was a broken, hollow shell of a man. **"They're just walks to remember now."**

* * *

><p>Someone shook her awake by her shoulders, and the warm hands lingered.<p>

"Doll, wake up."

"Hm?" Azalea pried her eyes open. **"What did I miss?"**

Nathan's voice was smiling. **"We were about to open presents, but I think you didn't make it. Liam caught you, so no worries."**

* * *

><p>She blinked hard.<p>

Then she tried to speak, laughing in her head when she realized how dry her mouth was. But she tried anyways.

She managed to gasp, **"Yes."**

** Nathan stood up straight, his face glowing in such triumph that she almost felt like she was staring at the sun smiling down at her. He grabbed her in his arms and swung her around in the air while the room exploded into applause.**

* * *

><p><strong>"No lights, Michael. I think they're closed." She paused. "Wait, no. Why the hell would the door be unlocked?"<strong>

**Michael was pouting. "Damn it. Wrong tavern?"**

**She turned to him. "Michael Juala Dawson-"**

**"How do you know my middle name?"**

**"You think I don't read?" The Corona Civilian Document.**

Michael paused, and she could see the gleam of his white teeth as he smiled in the gloom. "I actually don't really like my middle name. If my mother was still around, I'd tell her."

"Where's your Father?"

"He's here." Michael was smiling. Smiling at what? "Somewhere."

"What's your middle name mean?"

Michael's voice sounded peculiar when he answered. "Cage."

"Odd." _Cage._

"I don't know why they let her drink before naming me. Adam got 'astuto' or 'foxy'."

"Lucky bastard."

"Indeed."

A noise sounded behind them. It reminded Azalea dimly of a match being struck, but the noise sounded like more than one match being struck. Candles began floating in the air before being placed on tables.

"What in the world?" She managed to utter before a sweet cologne flooded over her and bright afternoon daylight filled the room as curtains were being drawn back.

"Surprise!"

Her friends and many strangers exploded from different spots of the room. Sebastian, Flynn, and Anora were laying on the bar and Rapunzel and Eugene quickly popped from under it, grabbing their children. Anna and Dwayne ran from the washrooms and Anna quickly grabbed Sebastian. Other civilians, it seemed like the entire Kingdom was somehow fitting in the tiny Tavern, stood by the windows and tables. Sage, Liam, Sarah, and David burst from underneath tables along with Adam, Alex, and Matthew. Alec and Candace smiled from the corners of the room. The King and Queen were here as well, but had been sitting down on chairs the whole time. Maya and Diego walked from the tiny space behind the cellar that was out for all to see, with Fernidia and Olivia by their sides. Guy walked from behind Michael and was smiling.

**So that meant that the person behind her was-**

**Nathan kissed her cheek. "Happy Birthday, Doll."**

** Michael and Eugene started smiling when tears spilled over.**

* * *

><p><span>AN: Are some of those your favorite moments too?


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